Keeping the Moon
by xoxHannahBananaxox
Summary: Finished! Roxie has never fit in. That is until she goes to stay with her aunt in Tulsa. There she meets a group of people who accept her for who she is and help her find out what fitting in really means.
1. Airports and funny names

**Summary: Loosely based on the Sarah Dessen book of the same title. Roxanne Parkinson has never fit in. That is until she goes to stay with her aunt in Tulsa all summer. There she meets a group of kids who accept her for who she is and helps her find out what really matters.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders or Keeping the Moon**

**This is my first fic so if something is wrong please let me know. Also I've tried to remain as true to the book as I possibly can but if I've made a mistake let me know.  
**

* * *

Chapter One

My name is Roxanne Parkinson. Welcome to the first day of the worst summer of my life.

When the airplane taxies to the gate I gathered my backpack and purse from under the seat in front of me. As I did I cursed my parents for packing me up on that plane at an ungodly hour that morning. They were going to the Bahamas that summer for their second honeymoon, which left me in the care of my father's sister, my aunt Candace, who lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

I begged them to let me stay at home in Cleveland but I didn't have much evidence to support why I wanted to stay home. It's not like I have friends I can hang out with there. And besides even if I did have friends to hang out with my parents would never let me stay. I'm an only child so my parents are very protective and paranoid. They would never feel safe leaving me at home in Cleveland.

After the plane stopped a middle-age guy who sat next to me handed me my big black wheelie suitcase because I'm too short to reach the overhead carrier. I managed to lug the suitcase, plus my backpack and purse, out into the waiting area. I cursed myself for packing so much crap that I probably won't need.

I stood looking around for my aunt Candace. I assumed she would be the one to pick me up here at the airport. I bit my lip as I sat down on one of the hard chairs waiting for her to come into view. As the people filtered out a tall, broad shouldered guy came into view. He was leaning against the wall of the area, by the windows where you can see the planes take off and land. When he spotted me he stopped leaning and started walking over to me.

"Are you Roxanne, Candy's niece?" he asked before I could open my mouth. He was wearing a black shirt and jeans. His hair was cut short and neat and his eyes were cold as ice. He looked downright mean and I knew he was someone not to cross. If it wasn't for his eyes he would be pretty handsome.

I cleared my throat and stood up. "Roxie." I clarified. I hated my name. Roxanne sounded so old and not me. So I contented myself with the nickname Roxie, never minding the jokes about Chicago or the clothing line. I could feel the guy looking me up and down. I suppose I look different than Tulsa girls: I have shoulder-length frizzy blonde hair and murky blue-gray eyes. My mother says they look like haze. I'm short, skinny, and have freckles peppered over my face.

The guy nodded, but dismissed it. I could tell that if I ever saw him again he'd be right back to calling me Roxanne. He took my bag from me and even though it had wheels he carried it. He was very strong to lug all my crap around on his shoulder like that. I demurely followed him out to the parking area where he led me to an old, rusty pickup truck. He threw my suitcase into the flatbed as I got into the cab with my backpack and purse. He then started to drive, slowly and calmly. He didn't say a word, just listened to the radio playing country music.

"What's your name?" I asked. I couldn't take the silence anymore. I'm one of those people who have to talk all the time. It's a blessing and a curse. He looked up from the road at me curiously. He looked a little taken aback that I asked. I stared back at him, I had a right to know the name of the guy who was driving me to my aunt's house did I not?

"Darry," he said firmly casting his eyes back to the road. I raised my eyebrows. It was a very unusual name.

"Darry?" I asked. I couldn't help smirking. Darry glanced at me coolly.

"It's short for Darryl," he said testily. I bit my lip and stared out the window, not knowing what to say. We sat in silence for ages. It was so boring staring out the window that I fell asleep with my head propped up against the window.

It wasn't until Darry slammed on the breaks, causing me to lurch me forward, that I awoke. We had stopped by the side of the road. Darry had rolled down his window and was talking to somebody. He was talking in a very stern voice, the voice my father uses with me when I'm in big trouble. I leaned around him to try and see the person but I really didn't need to because the next second that person was pushing me over to the middle of the cab and sitting where I had been a moment earlier.

He was a small skinny boy who looked to be my age, maybe a year or two younger. His hair was long and greasy looking. He had a sort of dreamy quality to him that made you take a second look at him. He smiled shyly at me as Darry started to drive again.

I looked over to Darry, hoping he would introduce me to this strange boy sitting next to me but his eyes were fixed to the road and I didn't want him to be testy with me again. Luckily the boy introduced himself.

"I'm Ponyboy, Darry's youngest brother," he said shyly. I smiled. I wasn't used to people being shy around me; usually it was the other way around. Now that I knew he and Darry were brothers I could sort of see the resemblance. "You're Roxanne right?" I winced at my name.

"Roxie." I corrected. I wanted to smirk at his name but knowing that he and Darry were brothers I didn't. Instead I was about to ask Ponyboy how old he was when Darry parked in front of a small house.

"Candace lives right there. She's expecting you." Darry said pointing to the house next to the one he had pulled in front of. He got out of the cab and rolled my suitcase up to my aunt's porch. He nodded to me before going into what I assumed was their house. Ponyboy hopped down out of the truck gracefully and smiled at me.

"I guess I'll see you later then," he said. "You should come over to the house tonight if you can. The guys'll want to meet you," he said. I wasn't accustomed to boys inviting me over to their houses. The invitation startled me.

"Who are the guys?" I asked, not knowing what else to say.

"Oh just a bunch of guys in our gang. We've heard a lot of nice things about you from your aunt." Ponyboy said shrugging.

"Um, sure I'll come by, if it's alright with my aunt."

"Great, after you have dinner head on over. You don't have to knock, just come right in." Ponyboy smiled at me and then went up to his house giving me a wave before going inside, leaving me alone in the afternoon sunlight.

* * *

**Well that's the first chapter. I'm sorry if it sucks and has grammer errors. I don't have a beta-reader yet so you'll have to bare with me. Comments would be most appricated!**

**Hannah**


	2. Corn on the cob and cookies

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders or Keeping the Moon**

**Comments for my amazing reviewers:**

**Twitch in my eye: **Wowzers! You love my story. That's awesome. I think that's the first time anybody has ever said they love my stories. That rocks! It's amazing that you put my story on your favorites list. That totally makes this my day!

**Golden greaser: **I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Crazycatluver: **Thank you. Here's an update for you.

**cutiepiepink angel: **I'm glad you like it. I hope you like this chapter.

**Author's Note: I just went back and read over the first chapter and there were some grammatical errors that I hadn't caught. This is really bothering me. I'll try better in this chapter but if someone could please be my beta-reader I would love you forever! Pretty please!**

**Author's Note #2: I just want to thank the people who have reviewed my story. That makes me so happy to know that people are actually reading my work. That makes me want to write even more! Thank you so much! And just to make things more fun for you: who do you guys think Roxie should end up with? I'm torn between about three different guys but I want to know what you guys think.**

Chapter Two

"Roxie!" my aunt Candace exclaimed as she stepped out onto the porch. "Stop standing outside like a total stranger and come on in!" I hitched my backpack further up on my back and bit my lip as I made my way up to her.

My aunt Candace can only be described as eccentric. She's a little wacky and out there. People think she's a little strange before they get to know her. But she's always there when you need her, always first to lend a hand for those in trouble. She's never been married and lives alone. She makes greeting cards for a living. I hadn't seen her since I was six, at Grandpa's funeral. Aunt Candace doesn't get out of Tulsa very often.

"Hi Aunt Candy." I said giving her the obligated kiss on the cheek. She pulled me into a bone crushing hug and then held me out at arms length as she studied me.

"Well haven't you grown up? You're so tall and pretty," she exclaimed. I raised my eyebrows. I was far from being tall and highly doubted the pretty part. But I put on a fake smile anyway and nodded. "You must be starving after that long flight. I'll get dinner on the table as soon as I can." She said holding the screen door open so I could drag my bag inside.

She directed me to the guestroom and showed me the bathroom I would be using. After I put my bags in my room I followed her into the kitchen. She was cooking hamburgers in a frying pan and corn on the cob was being boiled in a big metal pot.

"Do you want me to set the table?" I asked remembering my manners.

"Oh no dear! It's your first night here. You just sit down at the table and keep me company. Would you like something to drink?" Aunt Candace asked. I nodded and she presented me with a Coke from the refrigerator. "I normally don't have Coke but I got a few bottles from the Curtis boys for you."

"The Curtis boys?"

"Yes, you met Darry. He's the one who picked up at the airport."

"Oh. The ones who live next door?" I asked as I took a sip of Coke.

"Yes. They're my boys. I absolutely adore them. They take such good care of me. Darry fixes things around the house for me and Soda gets one of his friends to fix my car for me for much cheaper then the auto shop. Oh and Ponyboy helps me come up for the messages insides my cards."

"They do all that for you?" I asked. I looked out of the window at the Curtis's house.

"Oh yes. Of course it's not like I don't do things for them too. I sometimes do their laundry when Darry's too busy. And I make them food sometimes. It's a fair deal."

"Why do you do you do those things for them?"

"Well they need all the help they can get what with their parents being dead." Aunt Candy said distractedly as she set the table. My mouth dropped open. Darry, Ponyboy and Soda (I assumed that was another brother) didn't have parents.

"Their parents are dead?"

"Yes. It's horrible I know. Poor Darry has to take care of Soda and Pony all by himself. I hope Darry didn't give you a hard time today when he picked you up."

"He didn't." I said, forgetting that he had been cool towards me. He had a right to be angry. I was surprised he was angrier. And Ponyboy! Ponyboy had been so nice and sweet. How could some be so calm when their parents were dead?

"That's good. I worry about that boy. All he does is work, trying to support Ponyboy and Sodapop." Aunt Candy said putting the hamburgers and corn on the cob on the table.

"Aunt Candy, Ponyboy invited me over to the house this afternoon. Could I go?" I asked after swallowing a bite of burger.

"Of course dear. Just be careful around their friends. I don't know if you noticed but the Curtis's are part of the bad crowd. What a shame, they're such nice boys. I'll give you some cookies to take over to them too." Aunt Candy said.

After finishing dinner I changed into a clean pair of jeans and a white tank top. Aunt Candy loaded me down with cookies to take over to 'her boys' to thank Darry for fixing her gate.

When I reached the Curtis's door I knocked timidly. I'm not the type of girl who puts herself in these types of situations. I was just about to turn and flee back to Aunt Candy's house when a good-looking boy opened the door. He had long hair and high cheekbones. But it was his eyes that drew me to him. They were dark, wonderful, lively, and reckless. He was so good looking it took my breath away for a moment.

He grinned at me, leaning against the door. "What can I do you for?" he asked as he looked me up and down. His voice was sweet like syrup. It took me a while to find my voice.

"Um…my aunt wanted me to give you these cookies." I said somewhat lamely, holding up the plate, loaded with chocolate chip cookies covered in saran wrap. The boy nodded and took the plate from me.

"You Candy's niece Roxanne?" he asked. I nodded. For once I didn't correct someone calling me my given name. It sounded nice when he said it. "Come on in," he said holding the door open for me. I smiled at him and entered the room.

It was a small, yet homey room. A stocky guy with long sideburns was sitting on the floor in front of the TV while a tall, lean guy was sitting on the couch talking to Darry about cars. Ponyboy was sitting at the table writing something while a small dark-haired boy who looked to be the same age as Pony sat next to him. All six of them looked up as the good-looking guy lead me over to them.

"Guys, this is Candy's niece Roxanne," the good-looking guy said as the guy with the sideburns took the cookies from him and proceeded to stuff one into his mouth.

"Hey Roxie." Ponyboy said before going back to his essay. I mouthed hi to him and looked at all the strange guys staring at me.

"Roxanne that's my best friend Steve," the good-looking guy said pointing to the lean guy talking to Darry. "You already know my brothers Darry and Pony, don'tcha?" I nodded and he continued. "That's Johnny," he said addressing the dark-haired kid by Pony. "And this is…" he started gesturing to the side-burned guy but the guy got up off the floor, thrusting the cookie plate to Steve.

"Aw Soda why don't you let me introduce myself?" the guy said. Soda shrugged and sat down with Steve and Darry who were digging into my aunt's cookies. "I, sweetheart, am the one and only Two-Bit Matthews," he said putting his arm around me. I gave him a weird look.

"Two-Bit?" I said. Now Darry, Sodapop, and Ponyboy were all weird names but Two-Bit was even weirder.

"His real name is Keith." Steve said from the couch, in between cookies. "We just call him Two-Bit because he always has to get his Two-Bits in." I nodded. Two-Bit still hadn't removed his arm which was something I definitely wasn't used to. Guys usually don't pay too much attention to me.

Soda seemed to sense my uneasiness and felt he needed to explain, "He likes blondes." I raised my eyebrows. Yes, I did have blonde hair. But usually when guys say they like blondes they mean the ones with beach blonde, silky, straight, long hair. Not like mine which was a drab honey colored blonde; cut to my shoulders which made me look kind of like a cocker spaniel; that frizzed with natural curl. It was hardly pretty but I guess this Two-Bit liked every kind of blonde.

"Hey I've rubbed off on her already!" Two-Bit said happily, noticing my eyebrows. He cocked one of his own and then finally removed him arm and sat back down in front of the TV as the guys laughed. I stood there uncertainly, not sure what to do until Darry got up and said he was going to bed to get up early for work tomorrow. He told me to thank Aunt Candy for the cookies and then left to his bedroom.

"Roxanne you know you don't have to just stand there. Sit down!" Steve said patting the seat between him and Soda. I smiled and sat down in between them. Two-Bit had found some cheesy old horror movie on TV. Ponyboy had finished writing whatever he had been writing so he and Johnny sat down on the floor and watched the movie with us. We were all eating cookies and having a good time. I never would have thought that I would have a good time with five guys I barely knew, but I did.

"Now Miss Roxanne if you get scared just let me know and I'll turn the movie off." Two-Bit said. I wrinkled my nose and laughed. These guys really seemed to like me. It felt good to be in a place where people liked me. At home I was always a loner. I knew one or two people to at least eat lunch with and be lab partners with but I had never had any real friends.

When the movie ended Two-Bit got up and said he was going to the Dingo. Johnny mumbled something about needing to get home. Steve had to go meet his girlfriend and Soda needed to get some rest for his job at the DX. I took this to be my cue to say that Aunt Candy would be wondering where I was. Ponyboy walked me over to my aunt's gate although I told him it wasn't necessary.

"Did you have a good time?" he asked leaning against the gate.

"Yea I did. Thanks for letting me hang out with you guys."

"No problem. You can come over any time," he said grinning. I tucked my hair behind my ears, something I do when I'm nervous. "Well Darry will be mad if he finds out I'm out any longer. I'll see you though." Ponyboy said. I nodded.

"Bye Ponyboy." I said as I went up the walk to my aunt's walk to her porch.

"Hey Roxie?" Pony yelled from the street.

"Yea?"

"Do you want to come over tomorrow afternoon? I get awful bored with Darry and Soda working."

"Sure." I shouted shrugging. It wasn't like there was anything else I wanted to do in Tulsa. Ponyboy waved to me before I entered my aunt's house.


	3. Donuts and the DX

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders or Keeping the Moon**

**Twitch in my eye: **Thank you! And you aren't a ditz. It was an honest mistake. I would hope that my Soda is nicer than Dally though. Dally however will be in one of the upcoming chapters.

**Babygurl33: **Thanks. Hmm…Johnny. Well that wasn't one of the guys I was thinking of but it is a possibility now. But he'll actually have to talk to her first! You noticed Dally wasn't there! I had hoped someone would. There is a reason Dally wasn't around. He'll be back soon. It wouldn't be an Outsiders fic with no Dally! Thanks for your feedback!

**Cutiepiepink angel: **Glad you like it.

**LatinaChick4Life: **Thanks for your enthusiasm! Here's another chapter for you.

**Gena-Curtis-Scott: **Roxie is most definitely not a Mary-Sue. Her non-Mary-Sue-ness will come into play this chapter. Thanks for the comment!

**Vincenza: **Sarah Dessen is one of my favorite authors. Keeping the Moon is my favorite. I just love the concept of it. So I decided to cross it over with the Outsiders, one of my other favorite books. I'm glad you like the idea. I don't care if you read my profile, that's what it's there for. The 1980s are possibly my favorite decade (I love the 1920s too), and the movies of it are my favorite part. I'm like obsessed with the Brat Pack. John Hughes is the man! I love all his movies, the Breakfast Club especially! After I finish this fic I'm going to work on a Breakfast Club one so look for that once this is finished. I hope you like this chapter!

**Author's Note: I haven't updated in a while. Sorry about that. I have been busy with school stuff because the end of the year is coming up. Plus I've been having some guy trouble too so I had to give myself time to get over him. This chapter took me a while to write. It's one of the more important chapters so I needed to get it right. Sorry I'm a little bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my writing (but thankfully nothing else or I would really get annoyed with myself). Anyway I'll try to update more from now on.**

**Author's Note #2: I'd still like ideas on who she should end up with. Your input is important! I have about four of the guys to pick from but I need people to sway me one way or the other. I am also in need of a beta-reader. You'll get to find out what happens before everyone else does if you do it…alright that's not much of a bribe. Pretty please!**

Chapter Three

The next morning I woke up around 11 o'clock. After taking a shower I got dressed in cutoffs and an old t-shirt, threw my wet hair into a ponytail and headed downstairs.

When I reached the hallway I realized that Aunt Candy was talking to someone. As I rounded the corner I saw Ponyboy sitting at the kitchen table with my aunt. My aunt was bent over a piece of paper scribbling while Ponyboy was eating one of my aunt's homemade donuts. He looked up when I entered the room.

"Hey," he said. My aunt looked up at me from the paper.

"Morning. I made donuts, would you like one?" she asked. I nodded and took one from the tray that was cooling on the counter. I poured myself a cup of coffee from the coffee pot, adding lots of cream and sugar the way I like it. Then I joined the two of them at the table.

"What are you doing?" I asked taking a sip of my coffee. My mom hates it when I drink coffee. She says it's bad for me. But Aunt Candace didn't know that tidbit of information so I was free to drink as much as I liked.

"Working on my latest card," my aunt said. She made a final flourish and then handed it to me. On the outside there was a vase of daffodils sitting on a table. Above it was written _I'm so sorry…_ I opened up the card to read the inside: _All losses are so hard to bear, but the loss of former love can be the hardest. Regardless of the reasons, there was love. And my heart and thoughts are with you at this difficult time_.

I looked up and raised my eyebrows at them. "What kind of card is this?"

"It's a sympathy card for a dead ex-husband." Ponyboy explained, starting on his third donut.

"Why are you making a sympathy card for a dead ex-husband?" I asked crinkling my nose (something I did when I was confused) at my aunt. She grinned.

"Because it's personal. People like their cards personalized now-a-days. I've made them for everything: dead hamsters, dead room-mates, and even dead mailmen."

"I don't think I'd buy a card for a dead mailman."

"Dead mailman's widow," my aunt corrected. "I didn't think people would either back when I got started. I made the classic ones: birthdays, valentines, etc. Then I really hit it big with Little Roxie," my aunt said as she took the card and put it on her table by the window to mail it off to her company for them to print it.

"Little Roxie?" Ponyboy asked looking from my aunt to me. I blushed. It was a well known fact in my family that Aunt Candy makes greeting card characters out of all the family members but I was the only one who really got popular. It started at my Grandpa's funeral when I was six. My hair was in long ringlets, back in the days when it was smooth and perfect, and I was wearing a gray sailor suit dress with a black trim. My aunt had taken a bunch of pictures of me that day and then started drawing me as a cartoon. Little Roxie was an immediate success, the next big thing since Snoopy in the greeting card world. Luckily things have sort of faded out with Little Roxie and nobody ever guesses that it's me. Still sometimes when I'm in the card section of the drugstore looking for a Mother's or Father's Day card I'll see a Little Roxie and turn bright red.

When my aunt told Pony this he laughed and I shot him a dirty look. "Shut up!" I said throwing my napkin at him.

"I'm sorry," Ponyboy said between giggles. "But it's just so funny. You're on greeting cards across the country!"

"What are you going to do today?" my aunt asked Pony, hurrying to change the subject as she saw that I was getting upset.

"I don't know. Probably go pick up Johnny and then hang out at the DX. Want to come along, Little Roxie?" Pony asked. I glared at him but nodded.

"Sure why not." I waited as Pony finished his last donut and then we headed outside, letting the screen door slam behind us. We made idle chit-chat until we found Johnny kicking around a football in the vacant lot down the street.

"Hi Roxie," he said shyly throwing the football at Ponyboy who was running backwards in front of us.

"Hey Johnny." I grinned at him as Ponyboy threw the football at me. I have pretty good reflexes so I reached out and grabbed it before it hit me in the face.

"Woah, I didn't know you could catch!" Pony said.

"I'm a girl of many talents." I said as I sent the football towards Johnny, spun spirally towards him, landing perfectly into his arms. Johnny's dark eyes grew wide. I shrugged. I have an older cousin, Mark, who used to come visit my family with his parents all the time. Because he didn't find much interest in my doll collection so he taught me how hit a curveball, throw a football, and shoot a foul shot in hopes that I could play sports with him. He left for college two years ago and hasn't been to see us in a while so I hadn't thrown a football in quite some time but still it was like second nature to me.

Finally the boys grew tired of me throwing perfectly and catching almost every single time so we left the ball there and started on our way to the DX. Johnny remained silent most of the time but Ponyboy kept chattering on to me about almost everything. He told how much he liked to read and reading was one of my favorite things so that kept me and Pony talking until we reached the gas station. By the time we had arrived to the gas station we were arguing about Jo and Laurie in _Little Women_. Ponyboy said that he thought they should have been married while I argued that they were just like brother and sister. As I looked around the gas station I noticed there were a few girls lingering around the soda machine, eyeing Soda from where he stood behind the counter.

"Hey Pony! Johnnycake! Miss Roxanne!" Soda said hopping up on the counter, something I doubted he was aloud to do but Soda could get away with anything. He grinned at us, some of his long silky hair falling into his eyes. The summer sun was turning it the color of corn silk.

"Hey Soda." I said grinning as Ponyboy hoisted himself up on the counter beside Soda. With them sitting side by side I could see the similarities between them. They both had long, silky hair and structured features.

"Hey guys. Roxie." Steve said coming in from the back and nodding at me. He gave me, Pony and Johnny free Pepsis but then left to go back to working on cars. Pony had mentioned something about Steve being sort of mean and ornery but he seemed alright, a little rough around the edges but alright. Besides he was Sodapop's best friend so he couldn't be that bad.

Soda was teasing Pony and Johnny when they came in. Two girls. One of them was tall and had a really short, flapper type hair that was black and straight. Her eyes were brown, standing out against her pale skin. She was dressed in a skirt that reached her knees and a blouse, very neat and professional looking. The way the smart girls at my school dressed. The other girl was wearing tight jeans and a tank top. Her long blonde hair was in a perky ponytail and her baby blue eyes were glinting. You could tell that the blonde was someone not to mess with. Like one of the girls at my school who made fun of me all the time. They were obviously here to see Sodapop. Pony had informed me earlier that the reason the DX is so popular is because Steve is a wiz at fixing cars and Soda is so handsome.

"Hey Soda," the girls said simultaneously as the came up to the counter. Johnny looked away from him; he was pretty shy I'd noticed. However Ponyboy was looking back and forth from them to his brother as if it was a TV show. I stood off to the side holding the Pepsi that Steve had given me.

"Hey Olivia, Trisha," he said nodding to them. Steve called for him from the back so he left. Ponyboy and Johnny had gone outside to smoke, which left me all alone. I bit my lip as I stood there awkwardly with the girls looking me up and down.

"Hi, I'm Olivia," the tall one said sticking out her hand to me. I raised my eyebrows as I shook it. She seemed alright, but it was her friend that I was unsure of. "This is my best friend Trisha." The tall girl said hooking her thumb at the blonde who was leaning on the counter, narrowing her eyes at me.

"I'm Roxie."

"Roxanne? Candace's niece?" Olivia asked. I nodded. "We work at the drugstore; we're good friends with your aunt. She told us you were coming down to stay with her. How old are you?" Trisha was staring at my hair, wrinkling her nose disgustedly.

"Fifteen." I muttered. My palms were getting sweaty, the way they did when I knew that someone was going to make fun of me.

"Can I tell you something?" Trisha asked, she stopped leaning on the counter and put her hands on her hips, making her look totally domineering.

"Stop." Olivia said, jabbing Trisha in the ribs but that didn't stop her from talking.

"You should really do something with that disgusting mop of tresses you call hair." Trisha continued. Olivia was trying to drag her out the door. The final words I heard from her were, "And you should wear blush too!"

I stood there, my bottle of Pepsi shaking in my hand. I could feel the tears forming behind me eyes but I didn't let the fall because I heard Soda coming back the front. He grinned at me easily which caused me to give him a weak smile. Ponyboy, Johnny, and I hung out at the DX all day. They joked around and I forced myself to laugh at them until I said something about Candace wanting me to go to the grocery store with her later so I left Ponyboy and Johnny to hang with Soda and Steve and all those slender, pretty girls hanging by the soda machine trying to catch Sodapop's eye.

I ambled along the street chocking back my tears. I didn't know why it hurt so much; I mean I was used to it. But this Trisha girl's comments had stung. I guess I was just expecting that here I would start with a clean slate. The guys didn't seem to mind last night but now I wasn't so sure.

* * *

**Don't forget to comment about who she should end up with and I really need a beta-reader. I'm sure that there are some grammer errors in this chapter because spelling/grammer check only does so much.**

**Peace, Love, and Oreos,  
Hannah  
**


	4. A latenight meeting

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders or Keeping the Moon.**

**NittanyLizard: **Thank you for your long comment. This is more of a general thing, taking place neither before nor after the book. But I guess you could look at it as before the book. It's nice that you think Roxie is relatable to girls. I hoped that at least a few people would find her that way. Thank you for giving a suggestion on which guy she should end up with. Soda is definitely a possibility. If she does end up with him it will be done the way you say, slowly and realistically. Stuff is going to happen later that really changes the way all the guys look at her, in a positive way. Your suggestion about keeping it real was really helpful. I guess they do seem kind of cuddly in my story. I'll try better to make them "tuff"er. I hope you like this chapter.

**oOoDancingQueenoOo**: Does UDS mean update soon?

**cutiepiepink angel**: I felt really bad as I was writing Trisha saying that to her, I mean I felt like I was saying it to someone. I mean I know how much it hurts when someone insults you like that. And it sucks, but its part of the storyline unfortunately. However I could never write a story without at least a semi-happy ending.

**Babygurl33**: A beta-reader is a person who reviews the story for spelling and grammar errors and also if there is a major mistake (i.e.: I say that Cherry has blonde hair instead of red) they fix it. If you would like to do it please let me know (now that you know what it is). If you do I'll e-mail you the chapter (you'll have to give me your e-mail address) before it gets posted and then you send it back with the corrections. Only if you want to that is, I totally understand if you don't want to. It's a hard job, I'm not the best speller or grammar person so I could never do it but maybe you can. And Johnny is still being considered as the guy Roxie ends up with. Hope you like this chapter.

**Banana4422: **Dallas is most definitely going to be in the story, the next chapter in fact. I don't know about her ending up with him though, I mean they are really different people. He wasn't someone I was thinking of. But we'll see. Thank you for your input! I hope you like this chapter.

**Author's Note: This is a pretty short chapter, and sadly none of the boys are in it. However I hope you enjoy it. Even though I feel bad writing what Trisha says sometimes she is still really fun to pretend to be. I've always been like Roxie, insecure and uncertain, wanting to be a girl like Trisha but never quite able to accomplish it. Also for those who were wondering Dallas will be in the next chapter, and you'll find out why he wasn't there at the beginning. As always review with who she should end up with, and for something new say why they should be together. So far in the voting pool there is Johnny, Soda, and Dally. I also have two other boys in mind that nobody has mentioned yet. I may have a vote to see who the favorite is just for fun in one of the later chapters.**

Chapter Four

"Roxie!" Aunt Candace knocked on my door. "There's someone here to see you sweetie," my aunt's voice came through the door, waking me from my slumber. I groaned and looked at the clock radio beside the bed, which only got one station that seemed to play only Elvis and the Beatles. It was 1:30 in the morning. Groaning I stumbled out of bed in my shorts and baggy t-shirt, wondering who had come to see me. I doubted it was one of the Curtis boys because I could see their house from my window and there were no lights on. And Steve, Two-Bit, and Johnny would have no reason to stop by to see me.

My aunt was waiting for me outside my door. She smiled at me in her pink quilted bathrobe, pointed down the stairs, and then headed back to her room with a thick novel under her arm. I sighed and headed down the stairs. As I did I saw a pair of feet in a pair of those rubber flip flops you get at the drug store, the ones that give you blisters after ten minutes of wearing them. Then I saw a pair of long slender legs in jeans that looked familiar. Then there was that same small tight t-shirt, with beach blonde hair spilling over the person's delicate shoulders. Finally face that looked like a china doll came into view. It was Trisha with Olivia standing beside her.

Trisha was frowning, her forehead wrinkled while Olivia stood there with her arms crossed; when she saw me she smiled a warm apologetic smile. She nudged Trisha but Trisha shrugged.

"Hi?" I said uncertainly. I looked at them quizzically; I didn't understand why these two girls I had just met where here at my aunt's house to see me in the middle of the night.

"Trisha has something to say to you." Olivia said. She was still smiling. Trisha rolled her eyes.

"Can I talk to you?" she asked, snapping her gum in an annoyed way. I nodded and she led me outside, leaving Olivia inside to look at the books on Aunt Candace's bookcase.

Outside in the moonlight I hate to admit she was even prettier. Her classical nose, high cheek bones, and beautiful hair added to the elegant way that she held herself. She was no greaser, but she wasn't a Soc either. It was like she was in a class of her own.

"I'm _sorry_ okay!" Trisha said like I had demanded the apology. I just looked at her. I was used to half-assed apologies like this. The person didn't really mean they were sorry, people never are really sorry when they say it. They just say it to make other people think that they are a good person or to clear their conscience. But they are never really truly sorry that they've hurt you. And once they have apologized it doesn't take the pain away. Olivia appeared at the screen door.

"That wasn't how we discussed it Trish," she said, brushing her short ink black hair out of her eyes and shot Trisha a stern look.

"What more do you want?" Trisha asked throwing up her hands.

"Do it like you mean it, like I told you." Olivia said. Like she meant it? Trisha didn't feel at all bad for what she had said to me. I shifted uncomfortably on the pathway, looking over to the Curtis's dark and quiet house. Even the tough greasers had gone to bed at this hour.

Trisha rolled her eyes and said in a rushed monotone, like a rehearsed speech you give in class, "I am sorry I said what I said. I tend to be very critical of what I don't understand. What I said was rude and hurtful and uncalled-for. I'd understand if you never respected me again. But I hope that you can forgive me."

"That's better Trisha," Olivia said, opening the door and coming outside. She patted her friend on the shoulder and looked at me.

"Um…it's okay." I said shrugging. I really wasn't okay with that apology but I knew better than to say it.

"Happy?" Trisha asked Olivia who nodded. Trisha, seeing that her obligation was fulfilled, walked down the path to an old VW bus, painted white and green, that was parked on the street. Olivia sighed.

"She's not that bad," she told me as if I had said something about Trisha being an awful person. "She can be a bitch sometimes. Mike says that she's friendship impaired."

"Mike?"

"My boyfriend Mike," she answered. Up close Olivia seemed older, there were crow's feet forming under her eyes, and her nose was very prominent, but she was still pretty. Not pretty like Trisha in an obvious way but her beauty was still there, lingering under the surface of her pale skin. Although I admired Trisha's beauty in awe, Olivia's beauty was much more realistic. It was the way Aunt Candace or my mother were beautiful. The way real women were.

"Why do you put up with her?" I asked, nodding toward the car where Trisha sat in the driver's seat. She was singing along to "Love Me Do" off key as it played on the radio, bobbing her head along to the song, her long hair bouncing on her shoulders.

"Because for the most part she's all I've got." Olivia said smiling. She started down the path to the car. "See you later." She got in the bus's passenger seat and waved at me before Trisha took off at breakneck speed.

"Good night." I shouted after them, going back into the house. I shut off the downstairs light and headed upstairs to my room. I presumed that Aunt Candy had gone to bed because there was no light coming from under her door.

I yawned as I went into my room. I got into bed, turned off my light, and rolled onto my side. I frowned into the darkness, not sure what to make of what just happened to me until I fell asleep.


	5. Dangerous Dallas

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders or Keeping the Moon.**

**Banana4422: **My screen name is for the Basketcase in the Breakfast Club, my favorite movie, although I do like Green Day. I love the Red Sox, Johnny Damon is my man, that's what my dad calls him. I hadn't read the third book when I wrote that about Bridget and Billy. Now that I have read it I like Eric a little better. I like Jess because he liked to read. I think guys who read for fun are sexy! I hated Dean, he was so annoying. Logan is good too but Jess is still my favorite. The one of the other ones was Two-Bit, the other was…Ponyboy. Steve has a girlfriend in this story, but that may change later. You'll see her later (hint, hint), but when I first started the story I was really thinking about him. But I need his girlfriend, Soda's too but…no I can't say it would give away a lot of stuff from the plot. Two-Bit is highly being considered. I love Two-Bit myself, and Soda too. And _someone _will end up with Dally by the end, if it's not Roxie. I take it you like Dallas, huh? I like Soda better but Dally is very hot in the movie. I hope you like this chapter.

**Westcoastbabe: **A new reviewer! Yay! Another vote for Johnny, he sure is popular. I have a beta-reader right now but if she ever can not do it for some reason I will send it to you, if that's alright. Sorry! I hope you like this chapter.

**Author's Note: I just want to thank everybody again for all the wonderful reviews. It totally makes my day when I check my e-mail to find that someone has reviewed my story. And for those who have been wondering Dallas will be making his first appearance in this chapter. I wanted to get another chapter out this weekend because it's Memorial Day and I have a three day weekend but my friend invited me to go to the beach with her so I won't be back until Monday. So I'll post sometime next week. Things will start getting interesting in the next chapter so I'm excited to write it.  
**

_This chapter is dedicated for my wonderful beta-reader babygurl33. Thanks so much!_

Chapter Five

I had been in Tulsa for a week. For the most part it was uneventful. I hung out at the Curtis's house every now and then and went back to the DX once. However most of the time I stayed at home with Aunt Candace, organizing her cards. There was a big cardboard moving box in her bright, sunny drawing studio just filled with the greeting cards she had made. However it was horribly disorganized, so while she was working on her latest sympathy card, this one was for a dead milkman, I sat on the floor and sorted the cards into shoe boxes, writing the type of cards that were in it on the top with a black marker.

One afternoon I was sitting in the studio with her. She had the radio on; Elvis was crooning 'Can't Help Falling in Love', as she worked on the card, bent over her drawing table. I was sitting on the floor cross-legged singing along with Elvis as I pushed a filled shoe box into the closet. It was my second one today, I was on a roll.

The doorbell rang jolted my aunt out of her drawing. "Get the door, will you dear?" she asked flexing her drawing hand. I nodded and stood up. I straightened my t-shirt as I headed to the door. I could see Ponyboy standing out on the step, his hands cupped around his eyes as he tried to look through the screen. He smiled when he saw me coming.

"Ponyboy?" I asked opening up the screen door.

"Hey Little Roxie." I crinkled my nose. He knew I was sensitive about that but I could never stay mad at him for long.

"Do you want to come in?" I asked, holding the door open for him. He nodded and stepped inside. "What's going on?" I asked sitting on the piano bench while he stood by the bookcase.

"The guys and I were wondering if you'd like to come over and meet somebody," he said. I bit my lip, looking down the hall to Aunt Candace's studio; I could see the sunlight from the large windows pouring out into the hall. She had said I needed to get out and do more stuff with the Curtis boys, however today I was content just to sit on the floor and watch her draw while listening to Elvis.

"Right now?" I asked glancing at myself in the mirror my aunt had in the hallway. My frizzy hair was thrown into a very sloppy ponytail, covered by a baseball cap and my t-shirt had a stain on it.

"Sure. He's already here." Ponyboy said, leaning against the wall. I

shrugged. "Alright. I'll have to ask my aunt and change first though." I said. Pony nodded and I went back down the hall to Aunt Candy's studio. After getting her permission I hurried up stairs and pulled on a clean tank top and re-did my ponytail, leaving the baseball cap on my bed.

After I went back downstairs Pony walked me to his house. I could hear loud voices from inside before Pony had even opened the door. As I entered the house I saw Two-Bit sitting on the floor in front of the TV, his usual spot. He smiled that goofy grin of his when he saw me, cocking an eyebrow. "Hey Two-Bit." I said looking around. Johnny was sitting on the sofa watching TV, but I assumed the other guys were in the kitchen, where the loud voices were coming from.

The first thing I noticed when I entered the kitchen was a guy I had never seen before. His face was that of an elf, like the ones in the story books I read when I was younger. He was even more tow-headed than Soda, his hair was kind of wavy and fell in his face, and he had a down right mean look to him. I bit my lip as I stood beside Pony. Now Darry, Steve, and even Two-Bit and Soda were scary looking. But this guy blew them out of the water. I would have even used the word hood to describe him.

"Hey Miss Roxanne." Soda said from his perch on the counter top. Steve was by the refrigerator drinking a beer and Darry was checking something in the oven.

"Hi guys." I said nodding to them. Then I turned my eyes back to the new guy. He had his arms crossed and was staring back at me.

"Who's the broad?" he asked. My mouth dropped open and my eyes flashed, I could have a temper when I put my mind to it but Soda looked at me and shook his head.

"That's Candace's niece Roxanne. You know the one who lives next door?" Darry answered. The guy shrugged as if he didn't care.

"Roxie." I said. Darry nodded but as he always did he dismissed it. The new guy raised his eyebrows and looked me up and down.

"Roxie, that's Dallas, another member of our gang." Steve said, finishing his beer. I nodded.

"Dally's been in the slammer for a while, that's why you haven't seen him." Ponyboy said. My eyes grew wide.

"What did you do?" I asked before I could stop myself. Dally grinned a very scary smile as he walked towards me.

"All sorts of things," he said winking wickedly. I look around him to Sodapop and Ponyboy, begging them with my eyes to save me. I knew that this must have been one of the rough members of the gang that Aunt Candace had mentioned. Sure Steve

and Two-Bit were a little wild and crazy, but they had nothing on Dallas. And Johnny looked like a Labrador retriever puppy compared to him.

"Dally…" Darry said in a warning tone as Steve stepped in front of me, as if to serve as a shield. Dallas muttered something under his breath that I didn't catch as he stormed out to the living room. Steve let out a low whistle when he was sure that Dally was out of ear shot.

"Roxanne you can't just say stuff like that to Dally!" Soda said hopping off the counter. I bit my lip. "You definitely don't want to tango with him." I frowned.

"Why not?"

"Why!" Steve asked surprised. No one answered me for a moment, like I had been the first to ever ask why I couldn't ask Dally a simple question.

"He's a lot tougher than we are Roxie." Pony finally spoke up. I looked at Darry with his broad shoulders and Superman-like muscles and raised my eyebrows. I didn't think anybody would be tougher than Darry. "I don't think even Darry would like to fight him." Pony added seeing me looking at his eldest brother.

"No I wouldn't like to fight Dallas Winston." Darry agreed.

"What made him so tough?" I asked as Soda handed me a Pepsi from the fridge.

"He grew up in New York City, Rox. He was in jail when he was ten years old." Steve said. I shook my head in disbelief but the other guys nodded.

"He's bitter. The only thing that he can take his aggression out on is the Socs

but that don't do no good because you can never beat 'em." Ponyboy said.

"You see Roxanne? It's just best if you let Dally be. He'll like you well enough if you don't say anything to him unless he asks you." Soda said. I nodded. Just then Dally came back with Two-Bit and Johnny in tow and the subject was quickly dropped.


	6. The world is full of bitchy girls

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders or Keeping the Moon.**

**Kate: **A new reviewer! Yay! I feel special that you include me in the original stories category, it means a lot. I do realize that Chicago and the clothing brand were not around in the 60s. When I was coming up with her name I wanted it to be something interesting. I saw someone wearing a Roxy shirt and my friend was singing All That Jazz and it just clicked, and at the time I didn't know what time I wanted to set the story, at the beginning it was supposed to be sort of modern day but I'm obsessed with pop culture so it's fun to write a story set in the 60s. I probably should go fix that but I think it gives her character. The compliment you gave me on my writing really made my day, I was smiling so much. Thanks for that. As for the possibility that the line about Little Women is foreshadowing I can't tell you, because it would spoil the story however I am impressed that you found that line, you're the first that has mentioned it. Good job. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Banana4422**: I will always have a soft spot for Dallas (I thought about him today when I was in the car and the Cops theme song "Bad Boys" came on the radio so I was sitting there singing and I was like Dally! Not that good of a story but I thought it was funny, but then again I laugh at a lot of stupid stuff). I think his past is so sad; he will have to end up happy by the end of my story. And he is going to end up with somebody, I haven't really decided on who but it will be somebody. Thank you for the compliment and I hope you like this chapter just as much.

**cutiepiepink angel**: I like Soda too, especially in the movie. Sa-woon! As for Roxie ending up with him you'll have to wait and see.

**Author's Note: Chapter six already? It seems like just yesterday I was starting this. How time flies. I'm sorry this chapter wasn't out sooner, not that I'm in a hurry, I don't want to rush it. I just wanted to let you know I didn't fall off the face of the earth because I haven't updated in like a week and I've been trying to be good about that. Any who, I am so excited, at the rate I'm going I might be able to finish this by the end of summer, which would be nice because the story ends in end of summer. It would be pretty cool if that would happen. I'll try my best to make that happen. This chapter is kind of short but the next one is already written and it is very long and if I do say so myself, it's very good. As usual I would like to thank my beta-reader babygurl33 because she's awesome and fixes my mistakes!**

**Warning: This chapter contains some language. I know my story hasn't really needed the T rating so far but now some characters are starting so swear so I just wanted to let y'all know. Can't say I didn't warn you!**

_This chapter is dedicated to everybody who has reviewed my story because you rock!_

Chapter Six

"Aren't you excited Hun?" Aunt Candace asked me the next morning at breakfast.

I had spent the remainder of the day with the guys. Dallas actually grew on me, and he treated me better. I think that it had to do with the fact Johnny talked to him. Johnny seemed to be the only one who could get through to the boy. Whatever the reason he basically left me alone and he didn't swear which really surprised me, according to Ponyboy; Dallas Winston could have quite the dirty mouth. Dally intrigued me. I mean I liked all the guys, Steve could be short tempered sometimes and Darry was a little mean, but they were all wonderful, especially Soda and Ponyboy. However Dally's past made me forgive him for the way he acted and I rather liked him now that he was being civil with me.

"For what?" I asked glancing at her big wall calendar. It was the last week of June; I had officially been in Tulsa for two weeks. "The Forth of July? That's not for another week."

"Not the Forth silly. For the lunar eclipse!" my aunt said flipping the calendar to August. It would be happening a week before I went back home to Ohio. I shrugged.

"I don't know, I guess. I mean I've never seen one."

"You have never in your life seen a lunar eclipse?" Aunt Candy asked. I shook my head and she flung up her hands. "Good Lord child what have my brother and sister-in-law been doing to you? What kind of child has never seen a lunar eclipse?" I knew by now that Aunt Candace asked a lot of rhetorical questions so I merely shrugged and then went back to my waffles. "You'll have to see this one then. We'll have a big gathering with the girls, and the Curtis boys and their friends." Aunt Candace said grinning over her own plate.

"Sounds like fun." I said reading the comic section of the newspaper.

After showering and getting dressed Aunt Candy sent me out to the drugstore to pick up some shampoo for her. I had wanted to ask Ponyboy if he wanted to come but he was at the movies according to Soda who was hurrying off to the gas station, so I went alone. Greaser territory usually isn't very safe to walk in but since I knew some of the toughest guys in the neighborhood I was usually left alone. Aunt Candace had the money to live in the Soc side of town but she told me she didn't want to, the house, although it was in the rough part of town, was her home. And besides, from what I gathered money wasn't the only thing that separated the Socs from the Greasers. Greasers were more passionate while Socs were impersonal. If my Aunt Candy was anything it was passionate.

As I entered the drugstore I noticed Trisha was working the register. She didn't acknowledge my presence so I didn't acknowledge hers. I wished that Olivia was there but her boyfriend Mike was visiting. He played minor league baseball so she hardly ever got to see him. I didn't really care that Trisha was ignoring me; I would rather have had her ignore me than make comments on the way I looked. I got Aunt Candace's shampoo in addition to a paperback novel and a Hershey bar for myself.

Trisha nodded to me as she rang me up, punching the register keys with her long red fingernails. As she was doing that two girls walked in, I vaguely knew them as Steve and Soda's girlfriends Evie and Sandy. I had only heard about them but from what I could tell it was them. Evie was like all the other Greaser girls, wearing a short skirt and too much makeup. Sandy looked decent and a little nicer; I figured she would have to be if she was going out with Sodapop. They vanished behind the magazine stand but I could hear them talking.

"Isn't that, that girl Soda was talking about?" Sandy asked.

"Yea. But the guys didn't say she was so gross looking." Evie answered. I felt my cheeks flushed and forced myself not look at Trisha, this would just be another thing she could make fun of me for.

"She isn't that bad looking. It's just her hair is such a weird color and it's really frizzy." Sandy said. I bit my lip and bounced on the balls of my feet trying not to cry.

"And she's so pale, she really needs to wear blush!" Evie said. The two girls emerged from behind the magazine rack and nodded to Trisha before walking out. Trisha handed me my bag and I forced myself to look at her. She wore a solemn expression and looked at me like she had never looked at me before.

"Come with me." She said in a soft voice. She went and told the other drug store worker that she was leaving and then led me to the beat up VW bus.

Five minutes later we arrived at what I assumed was the house that she shared with Olivia. It was small and beat-up looking and there were weeds in the yard but it was still somewhat decent. I followed her up the steps and into the house. She threw her bag down on a chair in the living room and stood there, studying me.

"The world is chalk full of bitchy girls," was all she said.

**The next chapter should be out sometime this week considering it just needs to be touched up a little.**

**Love, Peaces, and Oreos,  
Hannah  
**


	7. Two Bit is going to flip his lid

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders or Keeping the Moon.**

**oOoDancingQueenoOo: **You'll find out here in this chapter. I hope you like what she does as much as I do.

**ZELINIA: **Another new reviewer. So exciting! Ha-ha, you did a good job on guessing (or you have just read the book and know what's going to happen). You'll see it in this chapter. Thanks so much, I hope you like this chapter.

**Author's Note: I love this chapter. I was so excited to write this chapter that I wrote it in about an hour; even though I should have been asleep I just couldn't keep the words in me. My beta-reader babygurl33 is grounded from her computer right now so if there are any spelling or grammar mistakes, I'm sorry. I tried my best but there is a reason I wanted a beta-reader, I'm not perfect in the grammar and spelling department. But hopefully you can over look them for the next few chapters until babygurl33 gets her computer back. I just want to thank her for all she's done for this story even though she didn't beta this chapter. She rocks my socks! Anyway I was going to wait a few days to upload this but whatever; I'm in the mood to put it up. I should get the next chapter up by this weekend if I'm lucky. Oh and I just want to thank everybody for all the support they have given me with this story. You guys make me want to work to finish this (I usually loose interest in my stories half-way through but that's not going to happen with this one!). I hope you like this chapter as much as I do.**

**Author's Note 2: Let's have a little poll in this chapter. I'm not saying that the winner will be the guy I just want to know what you guys think because I want people to be happy for her. Here are the guys I have to pick from. Some of them were suggested, the others were ones that I picked out myself. Here we go: Which guy out of these should Roxie end up with?**

**Dallas Winston  
Ponyboy Curtis  
Sodapop Curtis  
Keith "Two-Bit" Matthews  
Johnny Cade**

_This chapter is dedicated to Twitch in my Eye, Golden Greaser, Crazycatluver, and cutiepiepink angel who were the first to review this story._

Chapter Seven

The first thing I noticed upon entering Trisha's bedroom was the mirror. Well it wasn't the mirror itself, which was just a mirror in a frame that was painted white with pink designs, hanging above an old Hollywood style dressing table that was loaded with beauty aids. It was the pictures around the mirror. The pictures were cut out of magazines; blondes, brunettes, red heads. All of them were skinny and glamorous. There were a few regular Kodak pictures sprinkled in, a few of Trisha, Olivia, and even some of the guys. Next to the models you could see the imperfections in real people. I noticed Olivia's crow's feet, creasing under her warm eyes; the worry lines on Darry's forehead that stood out; the way Two-Bit's mouth went up higher on one side when he flashed that cocky grin of his.

Trisha ushered me into the chair in front of the vanity before going over to the closet and digging for something. She mumbled to herself and I wondered what in the world she was doing. Finally she came back with a box held behind her.

"I can I tell you my honest opinion on something?" she asked. I nodded, I already had people make fun of me today, I was pretty sure I could take more. "I think you should dye your hair. Your color may be natural but it doesn't suit you." I was surprised; this was not what I was expecting. I didn't do anything so Trisha put the box in my lap. It was hair dye, the kind that you buy in the box at the drug store and do yourself at home. My mother had always told me never to trust that stuff, she once turned her auburn hair carroty orange using it. The color of the model's hair on the box was a few shades darker than Trisha's, Dally's, and Soda's; but still gave her that Beach Blonde look that I envied.

"It's blonde…really blonde."

"Duh!" Trisha said as she threw a towel around my shoulders and went out of the bedroom to the kitchen and turned on the sink. I didn't know what I was getting myself into but I followed her in there.

"What do you think?" Trisha asked as she stood behind me as I sat in front of her vanity. My hair was actually blonde and it made me look very different. She had blow dried it to perfection, not a frizzy in sight. And it was straight, not all wavy and messy like it normally was.

"It's wonderful!" I exclaimed as I toyed with one of my silky strands that no longer made me look like a cocker spaniel. Trisha laughed and then got out her tweezers. She said that my eyebrows were shaped kind of weird.

As she did this I looked up at the pictures and saw one that I hadn't noticed before. It looked like a yearbook picture, stiff and rushed. The girl in it still had her baby fat in her face and she was wearing dorky glasses and a horrible sweater, probably made for her by a grandmother. Around her neck there was a gold chain with a tiny frog pendent on it.

"Who's that?" I asked as Trisha plucked. I winced and mumbled 'Ouch' but Trisha wouldn't listen to me complain. She said that I would have to suck it up if I wanted to have normal eyebrows.

"Who?" she asked, she put her left hand on my shoulder to keep me from pulling back.

"The girl in the yearbook picture." I said pointing. Trisha glanced up and then back to my brows quickly.

"My cousin," she said distractedly. "She's a real looker, ain't she?"

"Well…"

"Oh come on Roxie. She's wretched looking and you know it." Trisha said stepping back and examining my face. It was easy for her to say, easy for a girl like Trisha with her model good looks and flawless skin. But I knew her cousin, and I knew what she felt day after day. I knew the way that her body would tense up when she knew someone was talking about her, I knew the way that she had no one to be her partner with in gym for fitness testing, I knew the way that she had to ask a group of nice people to eat lunch at their table because she had no where else to sit. I knew her well.

Trisha had plans later with a guy named Tim Shepard, who I knew vaguely of from stuff that Dally had mentioned in passing, so she sent me off on my way with my new hair and eyebrows, along with the things I had bought at the drug store. I was walking the short distance to Aunt Candace's house when I bumped into someone. It was a hard jarring; the ones that almost make you fall over.

"I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed, tucking my hair behind my ear. I looked over at the person to see Soda standing there, looking me up and down the way he did when I first went over to the house with the cookies Aunt Candace had given me to take to them.

"Miss Roxanne what happened to you?" he asked, he put his chin in his hand as he continued to stare at me. Soda is usually always smiling or laughing but he wasn't then. He looked rather surprised by my appearance. But it was in a good way, I could just tell by the way his eyes were taking me in.

"Oh well…Trisha did it." I said hooking my thumb back at Trisha and Olivia's house. "I guess she was tired of me looking so horrible so she took pity on me." Soda nodded as if he understood, that was one of the things I liked about him. He always seemed like he understood you, even if he actually didn't. "What do you think of it?" I asked, looking quickly at him. I was very apprehensive on what the guys were going to say about it.

"I think that Two-Bit is going to flip his lid when he sees you." Soda said as he cocked one of his eyebrows and did a bad imitation of Two-Bit's grin. I opened my mouth and playfully slapped him on the shoulder.

"I mean it Soda."

"Alright, alright. I think you're even prettier than you were before," he said smoothly in that charming way that he has. I knew that he was probably just saying it to be nice but still it was sweet of him. "I was just coming to get you. Candy is mighty worried 'bout you," he said as he turned so he was walking the same direction as me.

"I hope she didn't worry too much!" I said, imagining my aunt pacing in front of the phone, waiting for me to call or burst in the front door like people do in movies.

Soda snorted. "Candy is a pretty easy going person. She was just concerned because your parents are supposed to call today. But they hadn't yet when I left."

"Oh fudge!" I said. My parents only called every few days and to get a call from them was something I looked forward too. I had always been close with them and although I liked it here in Tulsa now, I still missed them. Besides they would worry their heads off if Aunt Candy didn't know exactly where I was and who I was with.

"Anyway Candy came over to our house to see if any of us knew where you were and Dally said that he saw you walking out of the drug store with Trisha so she sent me to come get you."

"Oh." I said. Soda and I walked in silence for a while and for once I didn't feel the need to talk. I always felt like I had to talk, fill the void of silence but when I was walking right there with him I felt comfortable and content. He was humming some song softly, so I couldn't make out what it was but it was pretty with his sugary sweet voice.

"Hey guys I've got a surprise for ya!" Soda yelled as he led me into his house. I had stopped to see Aunt Candy to tell her not to worry and to give her the shampoo that she wanted. Then Soda wanted me to go over and show my mini-makeover to the rest of the gang. I bit my lip with nervousness, wondering what they would think of my new look, granted it was just hair and eyebrows but still, it was a start as Trisha had said.

"What is it Soda?" Steve asked. All the guys were sitting in the living room. Darry was reading the paper in his chair; Steve, Two-Bit, Dally and Johnny were grouped around the coffee table playing poker; and Ponyboy was reading a book. They all looked up when they saw Soda; he was standing in front of me, blocking their view of me.

"May I present our very own Miss Roxanne Parkinson?" Soda asked taking my hand and pulling me in front of him. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear as the guys stared at me.

Darry simply looked up from his paper and nodded at me. I doubted he noticed the difference. Steve smiled at me for a moment but then went back to his cards, working out his strategy. Johnny's dark eyes were wide and he looked almost as surprised as Sodapop was. Two-Bit's crazy grin went as big as I had ever seen it and I remembered he had a thing for blondes which made me feel a little uneasy. Ponyboy's book fell out of his hands as he stared dumbfounded at me while Dally mouthed a word so dirty I would be grounded for a month if I repeated it. None of them said anything.

"Well?" I asked. Ponyboy and Johnny were still dumbfounded while Steve made his play. Dally blew a smoke ring with the cigarette he was smoking while Darry continued to read the paper. Soda sat down next to Steve and looked at his hand over his shoulder.

"Glory." Ponyboy muttered, picking up his book off the floor as he continued to stare at me. I raised my eyebrows; I wasn't used to having so many people look at me for a long time. Ponyboy's face was flushed as he buried his nose in the book. Two-Bit stood up from his seat and walked over to me. He circled me like a vulture, studying me from every angle.

"Two-Bit, why are you walking around the broad like that?" Dally asked him, his teeth clenching the cigarette. I narrowed my eyes at the use of the word broad which Dally still called me, no matter how many times I asked him not to. Two-Bit shrugged at him and put his arm around my shoulders like he did the first time I met him, although this time he stood closer to me.

"Two-Bit, I love you and all but is there a reason your arm is around me like this?" I asked. I was used to him joking around, tickling me and stuff, but this was just a little too weird for me. Two-Bit shrugged and grinned at me as he removed his arm and went back to the game. Johnny was still quietly watching me with his giant puppy dog eyes, although he didn't look so surprised anymore. Although Ponyboy still wouldn't stop staring at me, I breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on the couch with Steve and Soda, watching them playing poker. They were betting coins and cigarettes, nothing to fancy but it was pretty funny to watch them be so competitive over a card game.

When it got to be dinnertime I stood up and told the guys I had to go. Darry was already in the kitchen making dinner and Dally said something about needing to go over to Buck's, who ever he was. Dally and I headed out the door at around the same time so he walked with me to Aunt Candy's gate, not saying anything as he smoked his cigarette. But it wasn't the kind of silence that I had with Soda. That silence had been totally comfortable. This one was full of tension.

Dally confused me. Half the time it looked like he wanted to sock somebody and now here he was walking with me to my aunt's house, something that Pony and Soda did sometimes. They were type of guys to walk a girl to her gate but to have Dally do it was just weird. I was mulling it over as I walked up to the gate and turned around to look at him. He was slouching, wearing his leather jacket, despite the fact that it was hotter than Egypt out, with the collar popped up. He nodded at me when he saw I was going to get inside fine and then ambled down the middle of the road, kicking a rock.

I shook my head as I watched him until he turned the corner and then went inside.

**Dally is a bit weird near the end there, I don't think I'm that good at writing his character but oh well. Hopefully I'll get it right in the next chapter.  
**

**Love, Peace, and Oreos,  
Hannah **


	8. Everytime I see you, you look different

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders or Keeping the Moon.**

**oOoDancingQueenoOo: **I hope you like this chapter.

**ZELINIA**: I meant have you read Keeping the Moon. Thanks for saying I write Dally well. I'm not sure I do but I'm writing it so I always pick out the little things that the reader probably doesn't even notice. There is tension between him and Roxie, but I don't know if they could handle being together. We'll see though, there is some chemistry between them it could work. Thanks for the input. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Banana4422: **Thanks you so much! I like this chapter a lot too, if I do say so myself. Dally is harder to write, but I like a challenge so it would be kind of fun to write at the same time. I just don't want to change the characters too much. I can't really see Dally doing anything super romantic like Two-Bit but we'll see. You made me smile when you said I was a good writer. I hope you like this chapter as much as you did the last one.

**Gracie: ** Thank you. As for Sandy, we haven't seen the last of her and Evie. In fact they're in the next chapter and…well you'll just have to read to find out what happens.

**nycgal5490: **Comments like yours make my day! I think he has a crush on her but if she feels the same way we'll have to wait to find out. And I will most definitely keep writing.

**Kat, kitkat, calygurl13? cakes girl, Curtis fan, Ally, Marie: **I'm just assuming you are all the same person because each review said the exact same thing. If you aren't I am sorry. Anyway I guess you really want her to end up with Johnny. Since I don't know you are the same person for sure I'll count each of your votes. But you really didn't need to vote that many times, once is enough.

**Stef: **I totally take anonymous reviews. I'm glad that you are impatient for the next chapter because that shows that you really want to know what happens and this story isn't a total waste of my time. I hope you like this chapter.

**Cutiepiepink angel: **I'm glad you liked it.

**Babygurl33: **You're back! I'm happy now! Thanks for beta-reading this. You already know what's going to happen in this chapter but I hope you like it anyway!

**Author's Note: Wow I got a really positive response on the last chapter (although I did get the same comment seven times so that accounted for more than half of it). This has been like the most comments I have ever gotten for a chapter! That makes me very happy because I worked really hard on it. The last chapter was one of my favorites and I'm glad so many of you liked it as well. My beta-reader babygurl33 is back which makes me very happy so there shouldn't be as many spelling or grammar mistakes as there were in the last two chapters that she didn't beta. I want to give her kudos for doing this for me.**

**Author's Note 2: Poll Results-**

**Johnny Cade- 8 (I think it is the same person voting for him under different names for 7 of those but I don't know for sure so I had to count all of them to be fair)**

**Dallas Winston- 4  
Ponyboy Curtis- 3**

**Keith "Two-Bit" Matthews- 2**

**Sodapop Curtis- 2**

**So as you can tell Johnny won by a long shot. However this does not mean that Mr. Johnny Cade will be the guy she ends up with. I have some thinking to do about it.  
**

Chapter Eight

"So guess what?" Ponyboy said. I was sitting on Aunt Candace's front porch reading _Little Women_, again, on her porch swing when he had opened up the gate and walked up to me. I raised an eyebrow like Two-Bit, though I couldn't do it as well as he could.

"What?" I asked turning a page in my book.

"Darry says that we can all go to the fair together tomorrow. He even took the night off so he can come too." Ponyboy exclaimed, sitting down next to me. The Forth of July fair was the biggest social event in Tulsa during the summer. Everybody went there, Soc, Greaser, it didn't matter; everybody showed up there.

"You're telling me that Darrel 'I've-never-take-a-day-off-in-my-life' Curtis is coming to the Forth of July carnival with us?" I said in a shocked tone.

"I know. But he says he wants to come." Ponyboy said shrugging. I grinned, Darry was becoming like a big brother to me and it made me happy that he was finally getting out there and doing something that wasn't work related. Even though he was hard and cold sometimes, he still had a good heart.

"Are Olivia and Trisha coming?" he asked me. I nodded. "You think that Trisha would pass up a social event? Besides Olivia is like Darry, she needs to get out more." I said. Personally I thought that Olivia would suit Darry perfectly, they were just about the same age, and had the same work ethic. The few times that Olivia and Trisha were over at the Curtis's when I was they joked around a lot. If only Olivia wasn't enamored with Mike, her baseball playing boyfriend. She spent half her life working at the drug store and the other half by the phone in case he called her. She listened to his games on the radio while she wrote letters to him that she never sent while the phone sat on the table

next to her.

"Good. We'll come by at seven to get ya." Pony said before he left to go home for dinner. I sat there on the porch for a little while, feeling the hot air blow my now Beach Blonde hair. I opened up my book again and read. When I got to the part when Laurie proposes to Jo I looked over at the Curtis's house, remembering the conversation I had with Ponyboy about it. "I wonder…" I said aloud into the hot summer air.

"Come on Roxie, be adventurous!" Olivia said and Trisha patted her palm with the pair of scissors. It was the next day and I was once again suffering a beauty intervention. I made a cross sign with my fingers, telling them to stay away.

"I do not want my hair cut by anyone who is not a license beautician!" I said, running my fingers through my shoulder length hair. They could pluck my eyebrows, they could smear my face in goop, they could even make me wear their clothing, but they could not make me cut my hair.

"It won't be that short! It's only going to go to the middle of your neck!" Olivia said as she fluffed her flapper style hair. "That's long by my standards."

"Not helping." I told her as Trisha came towards me she put the scissors on

her vanity and sat down on her heels so she was eye level with me in the chair.

"Roxie your hair makes you look like a cocker spaniel. You need to cut it. I've cut lots of people's hair before. Just trust me," she said in a calming voice. Even though I had been sort of afraid of her in the beginning she was growing on me.

"Oh alright, you can cut my hair!" I said sighing. It was three o'clock and Trisha and Olivia had insisted that I go over to their house so they could gussy me up before we all headed for the fair. Aunt Candace had given me permission to go with the guys, and Olivia and Trisha were coming with us as well. Aunt Candy would be going along but she had a thing about crowds and loud noises so she was staying home to watch the fireworks on TV.

"Goody!" Olivia said clapping her hand as Trisha took the first snip.

"Miss Roxanne, every time I see you, you look different." Sodapop said as I opened the door. I shook my head and looked down at my feet. My now short Beach Blonde hair fell in front of my eyes.

"Is that good or bad?" I asked as I looked up at him. He was leaning against the

screen door in his jeans and checkered shirt. His corn-silk blond hair was brushed back and his brown eyes were dancing. He grinned.

"It's good," he said, still grinning. I smiled back at him. I cast a glance at myself in Aunt Candace's mirror in the hallway and for a minute I didn't recognize

myself. My short blonde hair fell to the middle of my neck and was stick straight thanks to Trisha's blow dryer. She and Olivia had forced me into their clothes. I was wearing a pair of Trisha's jeans, they bagging at my feet a little but they fit for the most part, and a forest green tank top of Olivia's that she said looked fabulous on me. My cheeks were blushed, my eyes shadowed, my eyelashes in curls, and my lips glossed to perfection.

"You ready Miss Roxanne?" he asked holding the screen door open for me. I

nodded and stepped outside into the air. It was the perfect night for a fair. There was a breeze but it wasn't too cold. It was humid but it wasn't too hot.

Soda lead the way down to the street where the rest of the gang was waiting along with Trisha and Olivia. Olivia was talking to Darry which pleased me, while Two-Bit was shamelessly flirting with Trisha. When Soda and I joined them we started to walk into the center of town, which wasn't that far.

"Now Two-Bit how do you think that makes me feel? I thought I was your favorite girl." I said lightly pushing his shoulder. He grinned in his cocky way.

"Two-Bit you're cheating on me!" Trisha asked in mock anger. Two-Bit laughed and put his arms around both of us.

"There's enough of Two-Bit to go around for everyone," he said smoothly which caused Trisha and I to burst into laughter as the fair came into view. Darry ushered all of us up to the gate to get our hands stamped by a guy who looked to be a year or two older than me. When he took my hand to stamp it his eyes met mine and he smiled.

"Hey," he said, still smiling. Dally stepped behind me and grabbed my elbow. He glared at the guy, who gulped and went back to stamping hands.

"Come one Roxie," he said dragging me over to the rest of the group and away from the guy. I glanced over my shoulder to see that he was still looking at me.

**Ha-ha, cliffhanger! Or really my sad attempt at a cliffhanger. It's probably not a good one but whatever. Sorry this chapter is kind of short, most of it is taken up by author's notes and comments, but I'm tired and just really wanted to get this off to my beta-reader. I promise the next one will be longer and better.**

**Love, Peace, and Oreos,**

**Hannah**


	9. Is ol' Dallas Winston going soft on me?

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders or Keeping the Moon.**

**oOoDancingQueenoOo: **Thanks for reviewing like every chapter of this story. Your reviews are always special.

**Alaskajenna: **Wow, that's really flattering. Many people seem to want her to end up with Dally. At first I was kind of iffy about it but now I kind of like the idea of them together. I'm just not very good at writing him without him being OOC but I can try. Hope you enjoy this chapter too.

**ZELINIA: **LOL. I really didn't mean for the hand stamping guy to be all "hey-i'm-a-rapist" but I guess he is kind of creepy. He's not a rapist though. He's in this chapter, but he's just some random guy that I had to throw in because he thinks Roxie is pretty, which is one of the things she's learning in this story, she really is a pretty girl. I hope you like this chapter.

**WhiteLies: **I'm glad I rock someone's socks. That's quite a compliment. That poll was just for fun. You didn't miss out. I just wanted to see what the readers thought. Dally seems to be very popular. Two-Bit is a good choice though, I love him. Thanks for your input.

**Banana4422: **Dally is overprotective there. I think he's a little OOC there. It was originally going to be Darry because he's like her big brother but then I decided I should throw a bone to the people who want her to end up with Dally. I'm pretty sure that was the same person but to be fair I had to count it. Not that the votes really count for anything, I just wanted to see what the readers wanted. I hope you like this chapter.

**Babygurl33: **Hey you have to give yourself a little credit; you're the one who fixes all the spelling and grammar mistakes. I hope you enjoyed proof reading this chapter. LOL. And it's totally okay that it took so long, I was just worried you got grounded again or something. Thanks so much!

**Tehsylvania: **That's an interesting username. I like it, very original. Thank you for the compliment. Everybody is either saying Johnny or Dally. Johnny does really talk to her much though so I don't really think that would work out.

**Stef: **I'm glad you don't think that chapter was filler. I hate filler. I'm really considering Dally. I hope you like this chapter too.

**Cutiepiepink angel: **I'm glad you liked your dedication. Soda and Pony are possibilities, but you'll just have to read to find out.

**Sodapop's#1gurl: **I really wasn't supposed to be so confusing to figure out who she ends up with when I first started writing. I think during the first chapter I thought Steve or Two-Bit but then I changed my mind and was trying to pick between Soda and Pony. And a bunch of people wanted Johnny and Dally so then it got really confusing. I really like your reasoning for her perfect match. Very similar to my own. But I can't give too much away here. You'll just have to read the rest of the story. And more about Roxie's life before she came to Tulsa is going to show up in the next chapter in case you are interested. I hope you like this chapter; I think you'll really enjoy the end of it.

**Author's Note: Wow, I thought I got a lot of reviews for chapter seven! I know I said that this chapter would be longer and better than the last one but I had a bad case of writer's block which I am now thankfully over. Sorry if this chapter isn't as good at the others, I was kind of stuck. I knew what I wanted to happen but I just couldn't get it right. There is a lot of drama in this chapter just to let you know. Now an announcement: drum roll please…………after a lot of thought I have finally picked Roxie's guy! But I can't tell who because then you wouldn't want to read the rest of the story. As always I would like to thank my beta-reader babygurl33 for all the awesome work she has done!**

_This chapter is dedicated to Sodapop's#1gurl for being the 50th reviewer!_

**Chapter Nine**

"Why did you do that Dally?" I asked him, taking my elbow away from his grasp. Dally glared over my shoulder at the guy who was stamping people's hands. I turned around too. The guy had a short brown crew cut and brown eyes, he was dressed rather nicely too. All in all he was pretty good looking, he wasn't a Sodapop Curtis or anything, but still he was decent.

"Roxie are you blind?" Dally said loudly. He wasn't yelling at me but I could tell he was frustrated.

"What does that have to do with anything?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest and staring at him.

"Well…uh…um…" Dally mumbled. He wasn't making any sense what-so-ever.

"What's going on Dal?" Darry asked, coming over to us. The rest of the gang was grouped around the game where you knock the milk bottles down. Two-Bit was trying really hard for that stuffed lobster.

"That weasel tried to steal Roxie away." Dally said, pointing at the kid. He was

still glaring at the guy. Darry looked at me with a quizzically.

"He did what?" he asked. I could tell he was about to go into big brother mode.

"All he did was smile and say hi to me. Dallas is just over reacting. If the guy had said hello to Trisha you wouldn't be doing this." I said shooting Dally a look. I only called him Dallas when I was upset with him.

"Roxie, you aren't Trisha. You aren't like Trisha in the slightest bit." Dally said.

"Are you saying that I can't handle myself?" I asked pursing my lips and glaring at him. He looked annoyed which is never a good sign.

"He's not saying that Roxie." Darry said, stepping into intervene. "It's just you aren't from around here. You don't know what can happen with guys you don't know here. This isn't Ohio. Now come on. We're here to have fun remember?." Then he led me and Dally back to the group where they were deciding what ride they wanted to go on first.

"Hey!" a familiar voice yelled at me. I was sitting on a picnic table with Olivia and Trisha while the boys were off getting more tickets, it was only about an hour into the fair and we had already used up all the ones we had bought at the beginning. This was primarily due to Two-Bit's obsession with the bumper cars which he felt the need to go on four times in a row. I looked up and saw the hand stamping guy coming toward me.

Olivia rolled her eyes and continued to look up at the sky, although they weren't due to start the fireworks for another half hour; while Trisha elbowed me. "Go talk to him," she whispered.

"Dally will kill me if he sees me!" I shot back. She gave me a look that plainly said "get your ass in gear and go talk to the guy because I didn't give you that make-over for nothing". I sighed, hopping off the table.

"I was hoping I'd find you," the guy said coming up to me. I nodded. "I'm Josh."

"Roxie." I said, looking over my shoulder to make sure Dally couldn't see us. If he did then I would be in major trouble.

"Who are those people you're with?" Josh asked, nodding towards Olivia and Trisha.

"My friends."

"Oh and those guys you came in with, are they your friends too?" he asked. I nodded.

"Which one's your boyfriend?" he asked suddenly. My mouth fell open and my eyes grew wider than Johnny's ever had.

"Excuse me?"

"Well a pretty broad like you has to have a boyfriend." Josh explained. I raised my eyebrows at his use of words. I was used to Dally calling me a broad but to have someone else do it was just plain weird. It bothered me. I wrinkled my nose.

"I don't have a boyfriend." I said firmly, though I did cast a look to the ticket booth where the guys were standing. Luckily Dally was in a wild conversation with Two-Bit and had his back to me.

"Really? Well then hey do you want to go on the Farris wheel with me?" Josh asked. I bit my lip. I had already promised Ponyboy that I would go on the Farris wheel with him because nobody else wanted to. I was about to make my excuses when Trisha came up behind me and took hold of my elbow the way Dally had done earlier.

"Dally's coming," she whispered to me.

"Uh…sorry Josh…I have to…uh…" I started, glancing over my shoulder at Dally going over to the picnic table.

"Come get popcorn with me!" Trisha said pulling on my elbow.

"Yes, popcorn, with my friend. I'll see ya." I shouted as Trisha pretended to drag me over to the table where Darry was handing out tickets.

"Bye." Josh said hopelessly, getting washed into the crowd as we arrived back at the table where Evie and Sandy had graced our group with their presence. Evie was wearing heavy eye-makeup and the shortest skirt I've ever seen while Soda had his arms around Sandy and was whispering in her ear. I glanced at Trisha, wondering if she would say anything about that day at the drug store but she kept her mouth shut, just gave me a poke in my back with one of her long red fingernails.

"Who's your friend Stevie?" Evie asked looking me up and down. Steve smiled at her.

"Baby you remember Soda and I told you and Sandy about Candy's niece."

Steve said soothingly to her. Evie and Sandy looked at each other and back to me with surprised expressions.

"That's the freak?" Evie asked loudly with a snap of her gum. Her words echoed into the silence of our group as I felt the tears form in my eyes, probably going to smear my mascara. Two-Bit pulled me over into his arms and hugged me while Johnny and Ponyboy patted my shoulder. Darry was glaring at Steve, I knew they never really liked each other but this seemed to be the last straw, I had never seen Darry flex his muscles quite so menacingly, when some of the color drained out of Steve's face I knew he hadn't either. Soda left Sandy's side and came over to me to whisper soothing words into my ear about how she didn't know what she was talking about, which left Sandy to stand abandoned by Evie and Steve. Trisha was being held back by Olivia. I knew that Trisha could pack a punch if she meant it. Dally started to march up to Evie and I knew that this was the side of Dally that the gang had always warned me about. Before I knew what I was doing I broke out of Two-Bit's arms, and hustled past Soda, Pony, and Johnny.

"Dally don't!" I said stepping in front of his path. He stopped and I knew that he could plow me over in a second but he didn't. He looked rather flabbergasted that I had stopped him, as did the rest of the group.

"Thanks." Evie mumbled to me, looking over to Dally who just about had smoke coming out of his ears. I turned to her, my face red with anger.

"I didn't do that for you. I did that for me. I don't need other people to fight my battles for me." I said as firmly as I could. Evie raised her eyebrows as if she didn't think I was much of a threat.

"Like a little freak like you could do anything to me," she said with a laugh that sounded much like a horse.

"I could but unlike you I have some class so I won't." I said giving her a fake smile before turning on my heel to go over to Olivia and Trisha. Olivia patted me on the back and Trisha stuck her tongue out at Evie who was standing there with Steve by her side, but you could tell by his body language as he lead her away that he wanted to come over where the guys were congratulating me on showing up Evie. Sandy stood off to the side, waiting for Soda who after he kissed me on the cheek went over to her and lead her away like Steve did to Evie.

It was at that time that the fireworks started. The gang all sat down in the grass, looking up at the sky and pointing out the bright colors, except for Dally who was slouching over by the picnic table smoking, the collar of his leather jacket popped up. I got up off the grass and walked over to him.

"Good job," he said flicking his ashes in the dirt. I nodded, knowing that he was going to say something else. "It takes a lot of guts to stand up to someone like that. I'm proud of you," he mumbled softly. I smiled in spite of myself.

"Aw is ol' Dallas Winston going soft on me?" I asked, feeling more confident about teasing him now that I had faced Evie. He looked caught of guard for a second but then he gave me a soft smile and shrugged.

I didn't think Dally was capable of smiling softly but he did, there on the Forth of July with the fireworks exploding above our heads with mighty crashes.

**Aw…I like the way it ends. Seems like Dally and Roxie have some fireworks between them (or over them rather)…but Soda did kiss her (on the cheek mind you but still). Who do think Roxie is going to end up with now?**


	10. Tears and devilled eggs

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders or Keeping the Moon.**

**oOoDancingQueenoOo: **it is an aw moment. LOL. I love those! Don't you?

**Cutiepiepink angle: **Do you really think I'd let Evie step all over her like that?

**ZELINDA: **Woah you really do want her to end up with Dally don't you? I can't really say if she is or not because that would give it away but from now on you should be able to figure out who she's going to end up with.

**Babygurl33: **my awesome beta-reader! LOL, I like love you for all you've done for this story. Yes Soda is very upset. And yes it is kind of obvious but that's a good thing right? I hope you enjoyed proof reading this. Ha-ha.

**Author's Note: Gah…this chapter will have to hold you for a while because unfortunately I have finals starting tomorrow so I'm going to be studying a lot (gah…I'm going to fail chemistry and geometry, I just know it). But after my finals I am free for summer so I can write whenever I want to! Anyhow, you get to see where the title comes from in this chapter. It probably doesn't mean as much as it does in the actual novel Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen but I needed to add it. Dally might be a little OOC here just to warn you. His little talk with Roxie would probably have been better if it was Ponyboy or even Soda telling her. But there is a reason for this! Soda might be a little OOC too but this is needed for the story also. Oh and just to let you know it should be easier from now on to see who she's going to end up with. It was confusing at the beginning because I, myself, didn't know who the guy was. But now I do so it should be kind of obvious but hopefully that is a good thing. Some people maybe disappointed but I am definitely planning more fics after this one so the guy you wanted her to end up with may be featured in one of them. Anyway on to chapter ten (the big 1-0 LOL!)**

_This chapter is dedicated to the people who decided to issue a special edition of the Outsiders on DVD that is coming out September 20. I am so excited for it. Lots of special features and some deleted scenes that make it more true to the book (more Rob Lowe, Matt Dillon, and Emilio Estevez…yum)!_

**Chapter Ten**

"So what's up with you and Dally?" Olivia asked. It was the next day and I was sitting in the living room of Olivia and Trisha's house. Trisha was painting her toenails with red polish and had the radio turned up very loudly. Olivia was in the kitchen making a batch of her famous devilled eggs. Trisha said this was because of her boyfriend Mike. Whenever Mike went a week without calling Olivia would make devilled eggs. She always took them over to the Curtis's house because Trisha could no longer stomach them. Mike was still on his baseball season. Whenever Olivia was upset about him being distant or not calling she would say that he would be coming home at the end of August and everything would be the same again, which caused Trisha to roll her eyes every time she said it. It wasn't that Trisha didn't like Mike but she thought Olivia deserved better.

Trisha looked up from her nails, interested. "Nothing?" I shrugged.

"Roxie, don't tell me you didn't notice how he was looking at you last night!" Trisha said. I crinkled my nose.

"He wasn't looking at me any different than he has since I've known him." I protested.

"So he's liked you from the beginning then? And you didn't tell us?" Trisha teased.

"Our poor little Roxie doesn't even know when a guy is crazy about her," Olivia said covering the eggs in plastic wrap to take over to the boys.

"He is not crazy about me." I protested, grabbing Trisha's copy of the latest Seventeen and flipping through it.

"So what were you talking about when the rest of us were watching the fireworks?" Trisha asked. I shrugged.

"He said he was proud of me for sticking up for myself. That's it."

"Sure." Olivia said giving me a knowing smile. Trisha finished with her nails and carefully slipped her feet into sandals and we headed up to the Curtis's with the devilled eggs.

"Mike hasn't called yet?" Two-Bit asked when he opened the door. Olivia shook her head and Trisha gave him a look that silenced him. Johnny and Ponyboy were watching TV while Soda was playing solitaire. He didn't even look up when we came in which struck me as odd.

We were there about half an hour when I realized something was wrong. Whenever I go over to the house Soda is always joking around and trying to make me laugh with Two-Bit but I hadn't even heard him talk in the 30 minutes I had been there. Trisha and Olivia had to go to the drug store for work, which left me with Ponyboy, Johnny, Two-Bit, and Sodapop.

I looked over at Soda from where he was sitting in the armchair by the door, his card game since ended. His usual dancing eyes were full of care and he just did not look like the charming boy I had known for about a month. I got up off the couch where I was watching TV and sat on the arm of his chair. He looked up at me and patted my shoulder.

"What's the matter Soda?" I asked. Ponyboy looked up at me and shook his head. I looked back to Soda to see for the first time since I'd known him, Sodapop Curtis was crying. It wasn't how I cried. I cried in great big gulps, very loudly. Soda's tears just slid down his high cheekbones, some mixing with his silky hair. He didn't make a sound. Instantly my mind flashed to the worst: Darry falling off the roof of a house, Aunt Candace having a heart attack. When you're panicked like that your mind doesn't exactly work reasonably. If someone was hurt they would have told me right off the bat.

"It's Sandy." Soda chocked out. I bit my lip; I had just seen her the night before and she looked perfectly fine. Did she get in a car accident? Was she in the hospital? Soda was still crying so I cradled his head in my arms and brushed back his corn-silk blond hair the way my mother did in middle school when everyone was so mean to me and teased me. I came home every day crying and she would take me in her lap, although I was much too big for that anymore, and would rock me back and forth and tell me that middle school and high school are the hardest parts of life and things would get better before I knew it.

"What happened?" I asked Ponyboy quietly over Soda's head.

"Sandy broke up with him. She saw him kiss you on the cheek last night and she said that if he liked you more than her best friend they would be better off going their separate ways." Pony explained in a hushed voice.

"Oh Pepsi-Cola this is all my fault!" I said, brushing his hair back again. If I hadn't been so proud Sandy wouldn't have broken up with him. Soda looked up at me and smiled at his special nickname. I learned it from Darry; apparently it was something their father used to call him a lot.

"No Miss Roxanne, I'm just being silly." Soda scolded himself wiping the tears from his eyes. He grinned at me. "Don't blame yourself, ever."

"But if I hadn't had said all those things to Evie and gotten Sandy mad…"

"It's not your fault." Soda said grinning which caused me to smile too.

"Are you excited about the eclipse?" I asked Dally that night. We were walking up and down the street, trying to think of something to do. Darry was working; Johnny and Pony were at the movies, Steve was out with Evie, and Soda was off with Two-Bit trying to keep his mind off Sandy.

"I remember the first time I saw one," he said almost pensively, stopping to sit down on the curb. I sat down next to him and he pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and offered me one. I shook my head and he continued. "I was in New York one night when I was about eight, walking around like this with some of my friends, except it was really late. Then all of a sudden it got really dark and I looked up to see that moon was gone. It's pretty weird when you're a kid and you see the moon is gone. I remember telling them that someone took the moon, that they were keeping the moon."

"But the moon comes back." I said raising my eyebrows at how Dally was acting somewhat like Ponyboy.

"Yeah it does eventually, but it's just a little creepy to have to wait for it. You think that the moon might not come back at all. I wasn't the brightest kid back then." Dally said chuckling. I leaned back onto my palms and cocked my head to one side, causing my short hair to fall into my eyes. Dally hardly ever talked about his past. He didn't talk about the future further then the next week either. He mostly stayed in the present, the here and now. "You'll know what I'm talking about when you see it. You'll just know Roxie."

**Yes I made Sodapop Curtis (the sex god) cry. I'm such a bad person, I feel really bad for him. But don't worry. Everyone shall be happy in the end! Well…one character may be a little broken-hearted but for the most part it's a happy ending. And Dally is a little odd there at the end. Like when he walked Roxie to her house that one time (forget which chapter) but I'm sure it made all you Dally lovers go aw! Anyway, until the next chapter:**

**Infinite X's and O's,**

**Hannah**


	11. That thug has a name

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders or Keeping the Moon.**

**oOoDancingQueenoOo: **I, myself, would go with Soda because Dally scares me sometimes. But Roxie isn't me so we'll just have to see who she picks. But I hope you like it no matter how it turns out.

**XxAnGeL02xX: **I'm glad you like the story. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

**ZELINDA: **LOL. Dally is always weird when I write him but luckily nobody ever seems to think that he's OOC. Matt, I love him! I also love Rob Lowe and Tom Cruise and Patrick Swaisy (whenever I watch the Outsiders I think of him as Johnny from Dirty Dancing) and Emilio Estevez (I think he is hot, not hot like Matt is but he's so adorable you have to love him). I hope you like this chapter.

**Cutiepiepink angel: **you can find out more about the DVD at the Outsiders website which I have listed in the authors note. It will tell you all about the upcoming DVD. So exciting. Yes the part with Soda is very sad but Soda is never too sad for too long. He'll be a bit better later on. Hope you like it!

**Sodapop's#1gurl: **I wasn't really a Dally lover and I still don't really like him that much in the book and movie. But I like him in my story because he's kind of a big softy underneath all the hostility. I like Soda much better. Sandy is going to pay for breaking Sodapop's heart :evil laugh:. I know you like Soda, I like him too. But I think Dally may be a better choice. However since I love Soda I have decided to write a fic about him where he gets the girl. It's sort of a continuation of this story but there is a new girl who's a Soc. I can't really tell you much more because I've only just started it but I think you'll like it. I will be posting it once this story is finished.

**Stef: **This story does sort of follow Keeping the Moon. Keeping the Moon is about a girl who goes to stay with her aunt for the summer and she basically finds herself there. The characters that Olivia and Trisha are based on help her. And there's also this guy who is sort of her love interest. I kind of followed that story but none of the guys are like the guy in the book, except Ponyboy kind of but Roxie and Ponyboy don't really click so I had to forgo that, even though he has a really sweet part in the book. I totally recommend it. It's about 200 something pages so it's rather short but it's so good. Actually anything by Sarah Dessen is fantastic but Keeping the Moon is my favorite. You asked about the alert thing. I just made a blog for my fan fiction writing. If you go to my bio here by clicking on my name click on the homepage button and that's my blog for my writing. You can just bookmark that and you'll know when the story is updated. I hope you like this chapter and that your finals went well.

**Lovewriter45: **Thank you so much. Another new reviewer! I can't really say if she ends up with him, but I will say that it is very obvious in this chapter. I'm not being so subtle anymore. Once you read the chapter and the part of the song you'll get it. Hope you like it.

**Gracie:** It should be very obvious who she ends up in this chapter. As for choosing between Dally and Soda, that's a really hard choice don't you think? I think Roxie had a little crush on Soda in the beginning but now they're more like brother and sister. However there are some surprises coming up soon.

**Author's Note: Alrighty some of you expressed interest about the DVD so here is where I found out about it: ****It's an awesome website so check it out. Anyways, Aunt Candace gets a little mean here but everything is going to end up alright in the end. And as always I would like to thank my beta-reader babygurl33 because she rocks and always fixes my mistakes and has made this story extra wonderful. Don't know what I would do without her.**

**

* * *

Chapter Eleven**

It was a sweltering hot day a week after the forth of July and the gang was absolutely baking outside from playing football all morning so I told Dally to come with me to get some lemonade to take to the guys.

"Hello Roxie," my aunt said from the kitchen table where she was working on her latest card, this one was for a dead goldfish. Her long hair was twisted damply into bun and beads of sweat glistened on her forehead.

"Hey Aunt Candy. You know Dally don't you? He's one of the Curtis's friends." I said hooking my thumb over my shoulder at Dally who was leaning against the doorframe as if he owned the place. He had forgone his trademark leather jacket for a t-shirt with the sleeves ripped off. It was too hot for even the greasers to try and look tuff anymore.

Aunt Candy looked up and narrowed her eyes as she studied Dally. He nodded to her, but then went back to glancing around the room with shifty eyes. He looked intimidating with a bruise on his left cheek from a fight he had gotten into a few nights ago. That combined with his scowl and the way his white-blonde hair fell into his eyes, he was very menacing even when he wasn't trying to be tuff.

Aunt Candace cleared her throat as she continued to glance at Dally, I guess to make sure he didn't swipe anything. I didn't understand why she had such a problem with him. Sure he looks tough and mean most of the time but he really is an alright guy once you get to know him. He's loyal and cares about the gang, although he doesn't want to show it because he's afraid. I don't know what he's afraid of but it's just something I have always assumed.

I grabbed the lemonade I had mixed up the night before from the fridge and a stack of paper cups which I handed to Dally. He nodded to my aunt again and then headed out the door. I was about to follow him when Aunt Candace grabbed my arm to pull me back to her. "Roxie why are you associating with that…ruffian?" she asked. I looked at her bewildered for a moment.

"He's my friend auntie." I said shrugging. She shook her head and for once in my life I saw her look firm.

"Roxie I don't want you near that boy unless Darry or Soda is with you," Aunt Candy said unwaveringly.

"But why? It's not like he's a criminal on the run!" I said, even though I knew the men down at the police station knew Dallas very well.

"He's a hooligan. He could get you into serious trouble. Is Soda down at the lot?"

"Yes, and so are Steve and Two-Bit and Ponyboy and Johnny so if Dally suddenly gets it in his mind to kill me I'm well protected." I said sourly as I walked out of the room.

I have never really sassed my aunt before. My mother plenty of times and even though he is very intimidating I have done it to my father too. But never Aunt Candy. She's always been so easy going, and lets me do what I want within reason. I was shocked with myself that I had done that.

"Roxanne?" Aunt Candace asked when I arrived home that night. I felt like a teenager on a TV show, sneaking in after curfew only to be caught. I had spent the day with the gang and stayed for dinner at the Curtis's, but it was only seven o'clock, it's not like I was walking in at midnight.

"You never call me Roxanne." I said as I sat down next to her on the plaid sofa. Aunt Candy was watching I Love Lucy on TV but she had the volume turned down real low.

"There's never been a need," she said shortly. I crinkled my nose. Aunt Candy was acting stricter than Darry was with Ponyboy. "I spoke with your parents today."

"They called while I was out?" I asked disappointedly. My parents only called once in a while, they were busy playing golf and all sorts of things down in the Caribbean, and usually I was out with the guys or Trisha and Olivia so to have a call from them was a treat. Aunt Candace shook her head.

"No, I called them." Aunt Candace answered evenly. "I talked to him about that thug you were with today."

"That thug has a name." I muttered but Aunt Candace acted like she didn't hear me.

"Your mother and father agree with me that you can no longer see him." Aunt Candace said.

"It's not like I'm dating him! We're just friends! You let me hang out with Darry and Sodapop and Ponyboy all the time and you don't even care about Steve and Two-Bit and Johnny. It's just Dally you have a problem with!"

"Roxanne I don't want to hear another word out of you about that boy. Now go upstairs to your room." Aunt Candace said. I groaned and stomped up the stairs, slamming my door.

I reached for the phone on the bedside table and dialed the Curtis's house.

"'Lo?" came the familiar voice on the other end.

"Two-Bit?" I asked quietly into the phone.

"Foxy Roxie, why are you calling here when you just left about ten minutes ago?" Two-Bit asked. I could practically hear him grinning smugly into the phone.

"I told you not to call me that!" I protested. Two-Bit insisted that I have a nickname, not content with Roxie I suppose, and so he came up with Foxy Roxie. Two-Bit laughed. "Can you put Soda on please?"

"I guess…" Two-Bit said lackadaisically and I could hear him yell for Soda.

"Well Miss Roxanne, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Soda asked in his cordial way. I snorted.

"Soda don't talk all fancy like." I sniggered.

"Alright. What do you want Roxie?" he said gruffly in a manner that sounded much like Steve or Dally. "How was that?"

"Isn't there a happy medium?" I asked. "What's up Miss Roxanne?" Soda tried again.

"That's better." I grinned. "Aunt Candace won't let me near Dally anymore."

"What did he do now?"

"Roxanne get off that phone!" Aunt Candace shouted up the steps. I sighed.

"I have to go. I'll see you." I said quickly and hung up. Looking at the clock I saw that it was barely seven thirty. Way too early too go to bed, yet Aunt Candace had told me to stay in my room. I walked over to my window, opened it, and sat on the ledge. The porch roof was below me so it wasn't like if I lost my balance I would go crashing into Aunt Candy's vegetable patch.

I sat there awhile until the phone rang. I picked it up and wound the cord around my wrist. "Roxie?" it was Trisha's voice in a rushed whisper.

"What's up Trish?" I asked. She sounded upset about something.

"We have a situation here. Can you go get Darry and whoever else is at their house?"

"Sure. Why?" I asked.

"I'll explain when you get here. Hurry!" she said before hanging up. I glanced out my window as the wind picked up and thrashed my curtain violently as a summer rain started.

**

* * *

Cliffhanger! Buma ba ba bum! LOL. So Aunt Candy is a big meanie and won't let Roxie see Dally anymore. Will anything happen that will cause Aunt Candace to change her mind? And what could Trisha need Roxie and the guys for? Stay tuned…**

**Infinite X's and O's,  
Hannah  
**


	12. Olivia's Heartbreak

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders or Keeping the Moon.**

**Lovewriter45:** LOL, but the cliffhangers keep you interested. Besides I had to end the chapter somehow. Her aunt was a little harsh about Dally but he'll redeem himself later.

**XxAnGel02xX: **I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**oOoDancingQueenoOo: **I hate cliffhangers too but I wanted to try and see if I could actually write a good one that got everybody's attention, which I did. But I probably won't be doing it again so don't worry. I hope you like this chapter.

**WildTotodile: **a new reviewer! I'm glad you like the story. I hope you read the other chapters and like them too.

**ZELINDA: **so many questions! You'll see what Trisha needs them for in this chapter. Aunt Candace just doesn't like Dally; sometimes people have no good reason not to like people. Plus she thinks he'll get Roxie in trouble (which considering Dallas's history I don't really blame her). But Dally redeems himself later, possibly in the next chapter.

**Babygurl33:** LOL. Alright…thanks for reviewing. Even though you know what's happening anyways. I hope you liked this chapter while you were beta-reading it. Ha-ha.

**Sodapop's#1gurl:** I know I'm so bad to torture you like this. I probably won't do it again. I just wanted to try it once. I'm glad you love my Dally. I love my Dally too. He's hot! Sandy will be getting her just desserts later (I love that phrase!). Soda's story has already been started. In fact I have the first chapter almost done but I have to touch it up a little, I don't really like the girl's name anymore so I have to think of one that suits her better. I don't know when I'm going to put it up. It will either be when this story is finished. Or if I'm feeling adventurous I may put it up as this story is winding down. I just don't want to put lots of effort into one of them and then end up neglecting the other one. You know? But I can tell you the title. As of right now it's called Black Roses Red. That may change but probably not because I really like that title. I hope you like this chapter. There's not a lot of Soda in it but there is some Dally near the end.

**TWbasketcase:** Hey Kristen. Thanks! If an awesome writer like you thinks I'm good then that's very flattering. I can't tell you how much I adore The World through the Eyes of a Basketcase. I wasn't aware that you are an Outsiders fan (maybe you aren't, I'm just assuming). I'm glad you think Roxie is loveable and relatable, she's supposed to be that way. I can't promise you a big rumble but there is going to be a fight, or a jumping is more like it. It will mostly likely in the next chapter.

**Banana4422: **Why don't you want her to end up with Dally? I thought you liked Dally. But now that I look back on it you like Two-Bit too don't you? Well dear, I hate to tell you but Two-Bit is going to end up with someone else. Not Roxie. I know it's sad but he's a little old for her. He's 19 and she's only 15 (almost 16). That's a pretty big age difference.

**Author's Note: Yes I left you with a cliffhanger. I usually don't do that because I find cliffhangers very annoying but it got your attention didn't it? As of right now I have four exams left but after that I am free for the summer to write as much as I want! Goody! I just realized that the website to the Outsiders page did not show up which is very disappointing. I can't get it to show up but it is the offical Outsiders website. If you don't know what that is then Google it and it should come up. **

**

* * *

Last chapter:**

"I'll explain when you get here. Hurry!" Trisha said before hanging up. I glanced out my window as the wind picked up and thrashed my curtain violently as a summer rain started

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Twelve**

"Darry!" I shouted, pounding on the door, the wind whipping around me. It picked up my hair as the wet raindrops splashed onto my skin. I had told Aunt Candace that Trisha needed me. It wasn't a lie, but I still felt guilty when I went to the Curtis's to get the boys when I knew Dally would be there. Soda came to the door looking confused.

"Miss Roxanne?"

"Soda, go get Darry and everybody else. Something's wrong!" I said, tears running down my cheeks in spite of myself. I didn't have a clue what was going on but I was crying. Soda called the guys and they all came out onto the street looking confused.

"Why's Roxie crying?" Johnny asked, speaking up for what seemed like the first time.

"It's Trisha. She called me and said to bring you guys to the house. We have to go!" I said rubbing my eyes. I grabbed Darry's hand to pull him along. The gang followed quickly, running between the raindrops.

When we got to the house the first thing I saw was that all the lights were on. The VW bus was parked at an odd angle in the driveway as if someone had not paid much attention when they were backing in. The whole scene looked like something out of a horror movie with the wind thrashing the big oak tree, making it scratch the side of the house. And the rain coming down in big, fat drops to soak the dry dusty land.

Darry jogged up to the door and knocked. Immediately Trisha pulled the guys and me in. It looked like she had been crying. Olivia was no where to be seen. "Thank God you guys are here." Trisha exclaimed. She was pacing and wringing her hands. Two-Bit stepped forward and put his arm around her in a comforting way and she gave him a weak smile. "She won't come out. She's locked herself in," she finally said.

"Who?" Dally asked thickly.

"Olivia! Who do you think Dallas?" Darry snapped. Dally gritted his teeth and clenched his fists the way that he did when he was upset. I put my hand on Dally's arm, hoping to calm him enough so we could hear what happened.

"Olivia went to go see Mike. She left yesterday afternoon." Trisha said as Two-Bit squeezed her shoulder.

"I thought Mike was still off playing his baseball season." Ponyboy said sinking onto the couch. I bit my lip, wondering where this was going.

"Oh he is. He was in a town about two hours from here. So Olivia thought she would go surprise him." Trisha said. Her eyes were flashing bitterly and I gasped, realizing what had happened. Trisha had always joked to Olivia about it. How women love a man in sports uniform. But Trisha didn't mean it to come true. She liked Mike…I knew she did.

"Oh no!" I whispered. Dally looked at me.

"Roxie, what's the matter? You look like you're going to be sick." Dally said gently pushing me down into the armchair. I looked at Trisha who nodded to me forlornly. I put my head in my hands and tried to take deep breaths.

Then Darry caught on, as if he could read my mind somehow. "How long has she been locked in?" he asked urgently, looking around as if Olivia would pop out of thin air in front of him.

"What's going on?" Steve asked confused. "What happened when she visited Mike?"

"She went to his hotel room. And he was there…" Trisha began but Olivia appeared from her room. Her short black hair that was usually well groomed was disheveled. Little black lines of mascara were drawn down her pale skin from where she had been crying. She was wearing a pair of dirty old pajama bottoms and a tank top that had a stain on it. Olivia who was always so put-together and polished was looking like a train wreck.

"With a stripper. And guess who she was?" Olivia finished Trisha's sentence. Her voice was hoarse, from yelling or crying or both. The guys shrugged. I couldn't bear to look at her. Trisha must have had similar feelings because she was looking all around the room, besides Olivia. "His wife. And if you want the grand prize complete this sentence: she was blank." Olivia looked around at us. You could hear a pin drop in that room. When she realized none of us was going to answer she looked over at Trisha. "Go on Trisha. You were the one who always said how easy it would be for him to cheat on me while he was off playing somewhere." Trisha bit her lip. She had indeed said that.

"She was pregnant with his baby." Trisha said in a whisper. Olivia's eyes instantly filled with tears at the words. Darry moved towards her like it was instinct and let her cry into his muscular chest. It hurt me so much to see Olivia crying. She was always so calm and cool, always there to listen or to talk if you needed it. She was the last person in the world who deserved to be treated like this. It should have been Sandy or Evie or one of the other greasy sluts to have a boyfriend cheated on them, not Olivia. I think Olivia crying shook us all up a little. I could never recall a time when she was like this before.

Two-Bit rubbed Trisha's shoulders. Johnny and Ponyboy looked at their feet.

Soda and Steve, who usually were full of so much energy, were sober and silent and subdued. Dally let out a series of swearwords, some of which I didn't even knew existed. And I sat there in the chair that Dally had pushed me down into, with my face in my hands and tears in my eyes. Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder and to my surprise it was Dally. He sat on the arm of the chair and just left his hand on my shoulder, as if to let me know he was there.

After we had been at the house about an hour Darry looked at his watch. "It's midnight. Johnny, Ponyboy, you need to go home and go to bed. Roxie, you too. Don't look at me like that, I know you were sleeping." Darry said firmly. I sighed. I wanted to stay there and just sit with Olivia and let her know I cared. But I was very tired. I had fallen asleep off and on with my head resting on Dally's shoulder. Steve and Soda had already left. I think the somberness was getting to them. They were sad, I could tell.

But they couldn't stand being in room full of sad people. And Two-Bit was in the kitchen with Trisha making coffee, and for once I never heard Two-Bit crack a joke or try to make someone laugh.

"Darry its way too dangerous for them to go out at this time of night. They'd be jumped in a minute by the Socs!" Two-Bit said. Darry sighed, rubbing his temples. Darry and Two-Bit had volunteered to stay for a little while to make sure that Olivia was alright so Trisha could get some sleep.

"I'll take them home," Dally said looking up. Dally went over to Olivia and kissed her on the cheek, the sweetest thing I had ever seen him do. I got up and gave Olivia a hug. She smiled and kissed me on the cheek in a sisterly way and I smiled back.

"Feel better okay?" I said. She nodded, she hadn't said much all night except when she was telling the story after we arrived. Ponyboy and Johnny said goodbye to her and the four of us headed out the door.

Johnny's house was the first stop. After we bid him goodnight it was just me, Ponyboy and Dally. Dally was walking close to me, every now and then he'd put his arm around my shoulders for moment but then remove it. That was a lot coming from Dally. Ponyboy kept looking over at us, taking long drags of his cigarette and looking almost bitter but I wrote it off to the fact that he was still upset for Olivia. We all were.

However when we got to our houses he only mumbled goodbye and didn't even look back at us. Dally cocked one of his eyebrows like Two-Bit. "Wonder what his problem is?" he said in his gravely voice. I shrugged.

"I better go. Aunt Candace is probably worried about me." I said, crossing my arms and pulling my jacket closer as the wind picked up. Dally nodded but did not move. He stood stationary and studied me for a moment, until he shook himself.

"So long kid," he said flipping up his leather jacket collar. He waited until I got up onto the porch and had opened the door before he started slouching off. I turned to watch him go like I did weeks ago, after Trisha had dyed my hair. I was just as confused about him now as I had been then, only for a different reason now.

**

* * *

Alrighty so Mike and Olivia are broken up, obviously. Which is sad but that's taken right out of Keeping the Moon so I'm not making them suffer randomly like I did with Soda (although there is a reason for that which I will tell you later). I think it is very obvious who Roxie is going to end up with by now, and hope you guys are okay with that. I was a little hesitant at first but after a while I really warmed up to the idea. The other guys just don't have what it takes to be her man. Until next time:**

**Infinite X's and O's,**

**Hannah**


	13. The hidden secret no one ever tells you

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders or Keeping the Moon**

**Banana4422: **Oh, I was being a blonde. Dally will redeem himself in the next chapter.

**ZELINDA: **Well love does strange things to your common sense sometimes. I'm glad you like my Dally. I like my Dally too. He's a bad boy but he also has a sweet side that he doesn't like to show. I was worried I was going to make him too sappy but you seem to think I'm doing a good job with him. You hit the nail on the head about Pony.

**oOoDancingQueenoOo: **not everyone is in love with her. One of them really is in love with her and one just thinks he is. You'll see some that in this chapter. I hope you like it.

**TWbasketcase: **Thank you! Yes she is going to end up with him. Good girl/bad boy relationships rock. I only watch the movie because the guys in it are hot! Especially Dally and Soda! And it has Emilio Estevez in it (I have a tiny obsession with him)! But the book is better, I'll agree with you there. I love Sodapop and Dallas too. I also like Two-Bit. I hope you like this chapter. Update your Breakfast Club stories soon please!

**Gracie: **I hope you like this chapter, you'll see your prediction come true!

**Cutiepiepink angel: **Thank you. I hope you like this chapter.

**Stef: **Keeping the Moon is a really good book. Some of the stuff in this story doesn't happen in that though, just to warn you, but you'll see the similarities. Aunt Candace doesn't like Dally because she thinks he'll hurt Roxie somehow and she's a little scared of him. But Dally will redeem himself so everything will turn out alright. Yes she will end up with him :does little dance with you: I love Dally too, at least the way I think Dally is, tough on the surface but sweet underneath. I hope you like this chapter.

**Sodapop's#1gurl:** Mike is an ass. I felt bad for doing that to Olivia but it has to be done so she can end up with…ahem…um…it has to be done for the story I mean. This story will be finished before I post my other story. I changed my mind about the girls name again so every time I said her name I had to change it. That's a major pain in the ass. Hannah's tip of the day: really make sure you like the character's name before you write a whole chapter or else you will end up sitting at the computer for about an hour reading over the whole entire chapter typing the new name in. Not fun at all. Anyways the first chapter still needs some work so there's no way I could post it now anyway. And besides, that story is kind of a sequel to this one (except it's about a new girl and Sodapop) so there's stuff about this story in that one that hasn't happened yet in this one. Savvy? You want some Dally/Roxie action huh? Well I hate to break it to you but he's not in this chapter. There is some drama with Ponyboy in it about Dally but Dally himself is not in it. However he is in the next chapter and…no I've gave away too much already. But it does bring him and Roxie closer together, I can tell you that much. But they don't kiss or anything (that happens later) if that's what you're hoping for. I'm glad you like this story so much. I've always thought if at least one person likes my writing then it's not a waste of time. So there we go, you prove that my writing is not a waste of time! I hope you like this chapter, even though it is Dally-less.

**Author's Note: Gah. I'm so mean to all my characters. I make Soda cry, I make Olivia cry. And now I'm going to break someone's heart.. I'm so mean. But everyone shall be happy by the end. Today was my last day of school so to celebrate I wrote a really long chapter. The longest I've written so far for this story. But I don't think any of you will object to a super long chapter. Unfortunately Dally is not in it though. If I put him in it would be way too long. Anyways here we go.**

**

* * *

Chapter Thirteen**

For the next week I mostly stayed home. I felt guilty for being near Dally when Aunt Candace had prohibited it. I wanted to earn her trust back even though she didn't have the slightest idea I had been with Dally the night I went to Trisha and Olivia's house. So I stayed in the house, organizing her cards, reading books I borrowed from the library with her card. I even did some housework for her.

One gorgeous day in early August Aunt Candace told me to go outside and spend time with the boys because I was staying indoors too much. It was a clear day and the temperature had gone down a little so the heat was more tolerable, so I went over to the Curtis's house to find Ponyboy sitting in the living room reading a book. Darry and Soda were at work and no one else was there.

"Hey Pony." I said. He nodded to me and turned a page in his novel. I hadn't been spending much time with the boys lately but whenever I had Ponyboy had seemed bitter and distant towards me. "Do you want to play football in the lot with Johnny?" I asked.

"No." Ponyboy said, not looking up. I crinkled my nose, wondering why he was acting so strange.

"Well do you want to go walk down to the DX to see Sodapop?"

"He won't be there. If you want to see him you can wait until tonight when he comes over." Ponyboy said marking the page in his book and closing it. He lit up a cigarette and turned to look at me with narrowed eyes.

"What are you talking about Pony? If Soda isn't at work then where is he?" I asked in a perplexed tone.

"You know _who_ I'm talking about." Ponyboy said, blowing a smoke ring. I coughed as it came close to my nose.

"No I really don't Pony…" I said wondering who on earth he was talking about.

"Don't play dumb Roxie; you're too smart to do that. The whole gang knows you have a thing for Dally." Ponyboy said bitterly.

I bit my lip and thought about it. Did I have a thing for Dallas Winston? I had to admit that at times he was handsome, not in a movie-star way like Sodapop but still he wasn't horrible looking, and he did have this special something about him that made you want to take a closer look. He was brave and gallant and loyal to the gang. Sometimes it seemed like he didn't care about anybody but himself but I knew deep down he really did care for them, and that made him have an almost sweet quality. He was also smart, maybe not in the academic way like Ponyboy was but he did have street smarts, and I admired him for that.

"The whole gang knows?" I asked suddenly. Ponyboy nodded.

"We have for a long time."

"And here I've always been told boys don't notice anything." I mumbled, looking around the room.

"We notice a lot more than you think." Ponyboy said. "Why Dally?" I stared at him blankly, not knowing what he meant. "Why don't you like Soda? He's more handsome than Dally is. What about Two-Bit? Dally doesn't have his sense of humor. Or

Johnny, Johnny is a better listener than Dally ever could be."

"Pony, why are you asking me this?"

"Because I want to know what he has that I don't!" Ponyboy said loudly. I raised my eyebrows and Ponyboy seemed to realize what he had just said. He slapped his forehead and then I realized it. That day walking to the DX talking about _Little Women_, all the times he had walked me to my gate, at the fair when he asked me to ride the Farris wheel with him because supposedly nobody else wanted to go on it with him, whenever I looked over at him and he was watching me.

"Ponyboy…" I said, reaching over to touch his arm. He pushed my hand away.

"Just tell me why you don't feel for me the way you feel for Dally," he said.

"Ponyboy I do like you. Really I do, just not in the way you want me to. You're like a brother to me. And so is the rest of the gang. Just like Laurie is a brother to Jo. Jo could never feel anything more than a sisterly love towards Laurie." I said, trying to make him comprehend.

"Why isn't Dally like your brother then if all the rest of us are?"

"Because Dallas Winston never showed that he cared for me in a brotherly way. The first day I met him I thought he was going to beat my head in." I said, chuckling in spite of myself, remembering back to the day I had stepped into the Curtis's kitchen and first laid eyes on him.

"Oh so you like guys who will beat you up?"

"I'm not saying that Ponyboy! Dally doesn't let people in that easily. When I first met him I doubted he would ever really like me. He would only associate with me because of you guys. But after some time past he started to let me in. To have him let me in really means something. It means that he does care for me, maybe not in the same way I care for him but he still cares." I said biting my lip again. I didn't know how to explain it. I wasn't even aware that I loved Dally until a minute ago and now I had to explain why I did.

"Whatever."

"Ponyboy don't be like this." I said. He shook his head at me and then walked out of the house with his cigarette. I sat alone in the Curtis's living room for a second and then got up and left the house, not locking the door behind me. I knew the Curtis's never locked the door, no matter how many times Aunt Candace told them too. Ponyboy was walking down to Johnny's house and I could tell by the way that he was striding that he was upset. Not wanting to bother him even more I walked the other direction to Trisha and Olivia's house.

"Hello?" I asked, pushing the screen door open to find Trisha sitting on the sofa in the living room drinking a beer and staring at the wall.

"Hey Roxie." Trisha said putting her beer down on the coffee table. She got up to go the fridge and got me a Coke.

"Thanks." I said accepting the soda. "Where's Olivia?" I asked looking around. Trisha pointed to Olivia's bedroom.

"She's locked herself in again, playing that stupid song of there's over and over again. If I have to hear it one more time I'm going to scream." Trisha said solemnly. She got up off the couch and knocked on Olivia's door. "Ollie please let me in! Roxie's here. Do you want to see Roxie?" she asked pleadingly but the door remained shut. Trisha sighed and sat back down on the sofa. "Tonight I'm going to ask Darry to take the locks off all the doors in this house so she can't bolt herself in anymore." I nodded. Trisha turned to look at me; she studied me for a moment, as if I were a painting or something. "So you finally figured it out huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"You finally figured out that you're in love with Dally! Duh!" she said rolling her eyes. How can I be in love with someone and everybody knows it but me?

"I don't know if I'd go so far to call it love…" I said tracing the rim of my Coke bottle with my fingertip. Trisha rolled her eyes again.

"Roxie when you're with him it's like you're a different person. You're more confident, you look happier. Your eyes have a special sparkle to them and your smile gets wider when he talks to you. If that's not love then what is?" Trisha asked.

"Lust?"

"Lust is the first step towards love dummy!" she said hitting me with the sofa cushion. "So what are you going to do?"

"Act like it never happened?" I asked. She hit me with the pillow again.

"Roxie, you only fall in love once in a lifetime, especially with a guy like Dallas. I went out with him once a long time ago but it didn't work out. He was way too wild for even me. I never would have thought a girl could tame Dally but you have."

"I tamed him?"

"Sure you did. Remember that night at the fair when Dally was about to sock Evie and you stopped him. If I had tried that, if Olivia had, if any of the guys (except perhaps Johnny) had tried that we would have been plowed over. But he didn't touch you; he did what you told him to. Dally doesn't usually listen to people." Trisha explained.

"Does that mean that Dally loves me back?"

"Judging by the fact that Dally has never let people tell him what to do I'd say yes." Trisha said smiling. I couldn't help but smile too.

"So what should I do?" I asked.

"Tell him how you feel of course!"

"Oh no. I can't do that…" I said tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"Why not? Just go up and tell him. It's not that hard."

"That's easy for you to say. You're beautiful. You have guys falling at your feet. You get asked out all the time. I haven't even been kissed yet!" I said, almost bitterly.

"You are beautiful Roxie." Trisha said sincerely. I snorted.

"Only when you do my makeup and hair. If it wasn't for you Dally probably never would have looked at me other than some annoying tag-along kid who was friends with the Curtis's. If you do my makeup and hair maybe then I can have the courage to tell him." I said hopefully. Trisha shook her head.

"I can't besides you don't need all that."

"Yes I do. I just can't tell Dallas that I love him looking like this." I said gesturing to my jean shorts and sweaty white tank top.

"Sure you can Roxie. You're beautiful."

"No I'm not…"

"You don't need me Roxie. You never have. I just dyed your hair and smeared a bunch of makeup on your face. That night at the fair you were beautiful Roxie because once in your life you believed in yourself. You believed you were beautiful and so did the rest of the world." Trisha said throwing her beer bottle into the trash can. I sat on the sofa, letting her words sink in.

"But how?" I asked. Trisha gave me a sort of sad half smile.

"It's the hidden secret that no one ever tells you. We all can be beautiful girls. It's so easy. Like Dorothy clicking her heels to go home. You could do it all along," she said going into her room. She came back a second later with a small hand mirror. She sat down next to me on the couch and held it up so I could see my face. "What do you see?" she asked.

It took a minute to register that I was looking at myself. The girl in the mirror was beautiful. Her short hair was wavy from the humidity but it looked natural, not frizzy. Her bright eyes the color of ocean mist jumped out from her skin that was rosy with sunburn from spending so many hours outdoors playing football and walking around. But her beauty wasn't in the cookie-cutter way that all the pictures around

Trisha's mirror where. She didn't have the effortlessly good-looks that Evie and Sandy did. She knew she was different from the others, and that made her all the more beautiful. She knew the secret, and she had clicked her heels three times to find her way home. I finally looked up from the mirror.

"Trisha is that how I really am?" I asked. She smiled and nodded. I bit my bottom lip as I smiled and looked at myself in the mirror again. "Do you see now?" she asked. I nodded. "Good. I knew you would," she said as she put the mirror on the coffee table and got up to knock on Olivia's door again. "Olivia honey, open the door please!"

In response Olivia turned up her music very loudly to some love song that I had heard on the radio a few times. Trisha sighed. "Roxie why don't you head on home?

It's almost dinner. I'll talk to you later. Let me know if anything happens between you and Dally," she winked at me but I could tell that she was sad underneath. Olivia hadn't been taking the breakup well at all and as a result Trisha was stressing herself out.

"Alright," I said getting up. "Don't forget that my aunt is having that party type thing for the eclipse." I reminded her. Trisha nodded and I left for home.

**

* * *

So Roxie finally realized she love Dally! Took her long enough huh? But does Dally love her back? And what will happen with Ponyboy since he likes her too? You'll just have to wait and see.**

**Infinite X's and O's,  
Hannah**


	14. I thought you didn't get scared

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders or Keeping the Moon.**

**oOoDancingQueenoOo: **I hope you like this chapter too!

**Banana4422: **I'm happy too. I hope you like this chapter.

**Lovewrite45: **I'm glad you like it. I hope you enjoy this chapter too.

**ZELINDA: **I've never been kissed either so you aren't alone. I know it is annoying when people figure out you like someone. But Roxie's naïve like that, so she doesn't notice things like that. I think you'll like what happens during the eclipse.

**DramaticAngel:** Thank you. I hope you like this chapter.

**Babygurl33: **I love you reviewing my story too. LOL. And yes he does have a thing for her. But you already knew that didn't you? Major things happen the night of that eclipse so I have to build up to it!

**TWbasketcase: **Thank you. I'm sad for Ponyboy too. He's still going to be a little sad at the end but I'm writing a story that's kind of a sequel to this one so I'll try to make him happy in that. Roxie was like his first crush and those are always hard. Roxie and Dally are like polar opposites, it's kind of funny but opposites attract (according to the song). I have never seen Drugstore Cowboy…I might have to check that out. I like Judd in the Breakfast Club…not so much in St. Elmo's Fire but Rob Lowe and Andrew McCarthy are in that movie so they kind of take away from him. And Emilio too! Did you know they might be making a Mighty Ducks 4? I may have to just go see it or rent it just to watch him. Ha-ha. I like your long reviews, they rock. Update your Breakfast Club fics soon. I hope you like this chapter, there's some Roxie and Dally stuff going on in it.

**Author's Note: I love summer vacation. I can stay up all night writing if I want to. In addition to this I am also working on my sequel kind of thing to this story. It's called Black Roses Red and will be posted after this story is finished. It's about a new girl who moves to Tulsa and becomes a Soc but then she falls in love with Soda and all sorts of stuff happens between the Socs and greasers because of it. I don't have it all totally planned out yet (I never do that, I just know the beginning and the end). I say that it's kind of a sequel because Roxie is in it. She doesn't have a big part but she's there. And so are Trisha and Olivia and it refers to some of the stuff that happens in this story. But it's mostly about the new girl and Sodapop. That's why I had to have Sandy break up with Soda, so he can fall in love with the new girl. So I wasn't being mean to him for no reason. I hope you like this chapter. Someone gets hurt and there's a tiny bit of fluff at the end.**

**Warning: I use the f-word in here just to warn you. I usually keep the swearing down to a minimum but the line that it's in just doesn't work without it. So don't say I didn't warn you.**

**

* * *

Chapter Fourteen**

The eclipse was in a week. That meant that I had two weeks before I'd be getting on an airplane again to go home to Ohio. I'd have to suck up my courage and tell Dally before I left or I would spend the rest of my life kicking myself, I just knew it.

I was out walking one afternoon. Ponyboy was still a bit sour with me so I steered clear of the Curtis's house for a while. That meant that most of my time was spent with Trisha and Olivia. Olivia had finally come out of her room but mainly because Darry had taken all the locks off the doors in the house so she couldn't lock herself in anymore. She mainly slumped about, listening to that stupid love song over and over again and eating pints of ice cream.

I was about a block from home when I saw him. Dally was strolling up the sidewalk with a cigarette in his mouth and his hands stuffed in his pockets. It was too hot for that leather jacket of his but he was still tough looking. It's hard to believe he's sweet under that hard exterior.

He looked up when he saw me coming, some of his white blonde hair falling to his eyes. He took the cigarette out of his mouth and tossed it on the ground, grinding it under his shoe.

"Hey," he said smiling. It wasn't a grin like Soda's. Soda gives his smiles away for free to everyone he meets. And while those smiles were a good pick-me-up when you were having a bad day Dally's were more special because he hardly ever grinned.

"Hi Dally." I mumbled softly. He looked at me quizzically but didn't say anything. He turned so we were walking the same direction. I remember back to the day Trisha had dyed my hair. Dally had walked me home that night, and we were silent just as we were now. Back then I had felt the silence awkward but now I was quite comfortable just to be near him.

"Roxie?" a boy asked. Dally and I had wandered into the center of town and a guy who was standing in front of the drug store was calling my name. I looked over and saw that it was Josh, the hand-stamper from the fair. Dally clenched his fists and muttered something inaudible under his breath as Josh hurried up to us.

"Hey." I said, nodding to Josh. He smiled.

"You disappeared so quickly that night of the fair. I thought I wouldn't see you again this summer. I didn't even get your number." Josh said. Dally snorted as he lit himself a cigarette. I wasn't the only one who noticed; Josh had looked over at Dally and narrowed his eyes.

"Do you have a problem buddy?"

"Yeah, I do. Why would a Soc like you ever think you would have a chance with Roxie?" Dally asked, blowing a smoke ring. I glanced back to Josh and studied him. Was he a Soc? I hadn't had much experience with the Socs. I only knew what I had heard from the guys in the gang.

"Listen greaser, I have as much right to talk to her as you do." Josh said. Dally's eyes flashed at the word greaser. I knew the boys called themselves greasers when they were joking around but to have a Soc call them a greaser was different. It was meant as an insult. "And if you have a problem with that you can answer to me and my friends, they're in the drug store, but they can come out in a minute if I yell for them."

"Oh I'm so scared," Dally said rolling his eyes. I bit my lip. Dally had always tried to keep his temper around me. Except for that time Evie had called me a freak he hadn't even come close to being violent with anyone around me but I knew that when he was angry Dally was not a guy you would want to be around.

"Dally," I said but he didn't hear me. Josh was looking like he regretted what he had said. Dally's eyes were blazing and he threw his cigarette on the ground and grinded it under his shoe in a menacing way.

When Dally started towards Josh I felt my body move forward the way it did when Dally was doing it to Evie. "Don't! He's not worth it!" I shouted moving in between them to break them up.

All I can remember happening was Josh pushing me aside. He probably hadn't meant to do it hard but I lost my balance and fell off the curb and on to the street. I remembered the hard crash as I hit the pavement on my right shoulder and head and then everything went dark.

My head really hurt, that was my first thought. As my eyes fluttered open I realized I was in Aunt Candace's living room on the plaid sofa. I could hear murmuring voices in the kitchen as I tried to sit up.

"Thank God!" someone beside me muttered. I turned me head to see Dally sitting in the armchair that had been pulled over next to the couch. He looked banged up, his lip was split open and it was red from where the blood had dried. He also had a black eye but he was smiling and looked relieved. "Roxie, can you hear me?"

"Yea," I said softly. "What happened to me Dally?"

"That fucking Soc pushed you off the curb and you took quite the header." Dally said. "Damn Soc. He didn't even care you were lying on the ground, he just punched me. Luckily he ran off when I pulled out my blade. Then I carried you back here. Your aunt says you don't need to go to the hospital. We were worried you had a concussion but I think you just blacked out a little there. You'll be fine."

"But Aunt Candace doesn't like you. I wasn't even supposed to be near you," I mumbled. Dally grinned.

"She was pretty forgiving when she realized I had gotten that Soc back for hurting you," he said. I tried to sit up again. With Dally's help I was able to. I reached up and felt that I had a bandage on my forehead. My shoulder was a little sore when I moved it but it was mostly my head that hurt. It felt like it had split in two.

"ROXIE!" Aunt Candace cried as she entered the room. She flung herself on me, giving me the biggest hug I have ever received. I patted her on the shoulder and raised my eyebrows at Dally as Ponyboy, Johnny, Soda, Steve, Two-Bit, Trish, Olivia, and Darry entered the room too. They all took turns hugging and fussing over me.

"Olivia, you left your house!" I said in a surprised tone.

She smiled. "Of course. When Johnny and Ponyboy came to tell us you were hurt I had to come and see if you were okay." I smiled back at her. I glanced over at Darry and saw that he was smiling too. He looked relieved but somehow I knew that it just wasn't because I was alright. He kept glancing at Olivia when he thought no one was looking.

"That damn Soc. If I had been there he wouldn't have any teeth left. Nobody hurts Foxy Roxy like that." Two-Bit said punching his fist into his hand. I laughed and didn't object to the nickname that he had given me what seemed like ages ago.

"You had us mighty worried Roxie. I thought I'd never be able to say I'm sorry for the way I acted the other day." Ponyboy said smiling. I smiled back, glad we were friends again.

Aunt Candace had invited everybody over for dinner, as sort of a celebration that I was alright. Everybody but Dally left after the dinner. Before she left Trisha looked over at Dally and then winked at me.

Aunt Candace was in the kitchen doing the dishes so Dally and I were alone in the living room watching I Love Lucy, it was my favorite one, the one where they go to the chocolate factory, but I couldn't really enjoy it because I was conscious of the fact that Dally was sitting right beside me.

"You sure had me scared Roxie." Dally said. I looked over at him in wonderment. Dally wasn't supposed to care about anyone other than himself and here he was saying that I had scared him.

"I thought you didn't get scared." I said trying to play it cool. Dally chuckled under his breath and gently brushed my bangs out of my eyes. I wished he would have left his hand there but he didn't. The minute he realized what he was doing he jerked away and turned his attention back to the TV.

I sighed; there was no way I could tell Dally tonight. Too much had happened and my head still really hurt. I glanced over to the newspaper on the coffee table and read the date. The eclipse was in five days. I would tell him then, I decided.

**

* * *

Yea…I don't know if you really can get that hurt falling off the curb but let's just pretend you can for the sake of the story okay? The next chapter will be the beginning of the night of the eclipse. So exciting! Then there will probably be one more chapter after that one, just to wrap things up and then the story is finished :tear:.  
**


	15. I'm not brave, I'm scared of everything

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders or Keeping the Moon.**

**oOoRikku4EveroOo: **She's not going to leave Dally. Why would I do that?

**ZELINDA: **Yes he does have a crush on her, it's so cute. I'm glad you think they were in character. I love the "vitameatavegemin" episode too. It's such a good show. I hope you like this chapter, but the next chapter is the cutest.

**Stef: **Of course Aunt Candy likes Dally now. How can anybody not like Dally eventually? I promise I won't spend all my time writing, LOL. You sound like my mom. "You're spending too much time in front of that computer!" I hope you like this chapter.

**Sodapop's#1gurl: **Hello my fellow Soda lover. I'm glad her aunt likes him now too. I don't think it's a bad thing that you pick up little details. I like Darry too (except when I watch the movie I think of Johnny from Dirty Dancing which is kind of funny because I can't picture Darry dancing). I hope you like this chapter!

**TWbasketcase:** The detail about how Roxie feels about Dally that you asked for is in this chapter. I'm going to look for Drugstore Cowboy the next time I go to Blockbuster. I found out that he's in that new Lindsey Lohan movie about Herby. I may just have to sit through that just to see him, even if he's older now and may not be as sexy. I think Alec would be the better choice for her but I still like Kevin. I can't help but laugh every time I watch him play the bongos along to Respect. It is very nice to talk with fellow brat pack fans. I wish the Brat Pack would come back…except Judd Nelson isn't hot anymore and Anthony Michael Hall is all beefy and not the little dork I love. I think my reply is longer than your comment. I hope you like this chapter!

**Gracie:** I'm glad you liked the last chapter but my personal favorite is the next one...just because…well you'll find out when you read it. I don't want this story to end either but I can't drag it on forever, then you would probably get sick of it. I'm flattered that you think I'm talented writer. I bet you are too! My next story has already been planned and I just need to touch up a few things and then it can be posted.

**Cutiepiepink angel:** I hope you like this chapter and my next story, when I put it up.

**Babygurl33: **Yes I would love for you to be my beta-reader for my next story. I wrote you an e-mail about it. I kind of need your opinion on some things before I put it up. I'll tell you more about it when I send it to you.

**Author's Note: As you might have already guessed this story is coming to a close. The next chapter will be the last one. I would like to give thanks to babygurl33, my beta-reader. Without her this story would be very crappy. LOL. I would also like to thank TWbasketcase for being very supportive of this story and for talking with me about the Brat Pack, LOL. And finally I want to thank everybody who reviews, and the people who just read this and don't review (I know you are out there because my story has gotten over 1000 hits). Anyways one to the next to last chapter...

* * *

**

**Chapter Fifteen**

It was the night of the eclipse. It felt like everything that had happened that summer had built up to that one moment. There was something magical in the air and I think we all felt that it was a special night.

Aunt Candace ran around like a chicken with its head cut off to make sure everything was right for her little party. She had invited Curtis's of course, and Olivia and Trisha. Two-Bit, Steve, and Johnny were coming along too as well as Dally, now that Aunt Candace didn't think he was a thug.

I had slipped out while Aunt Candace was making macaroni salad and gone over to Trisha and Olivia's house to get ready. Olivia scrunched my hair so it was curly and wild, and, according to her, very becoming. I only wore a little mascara and lip gloss, nothing too fancy. My cheeks were pink with sunburn so it didn't make sense to wear blush. I still had the bandage on my forehead but it was either the sort of ugly bandage or the hideous mark from where my head had met the pavement. I wore the pretty pale blue sun-dress that I had folded into the bottom of my suitcase. I had never worn in it before but somehow in my subconscious I had known that I would need it when I was packing two months ago. It was sleeveless and cinched in at the waist. I liked the way the fabric felt cool around my knees when I moved. Plus I felt confident in it; Trisha had told me that confidence is the key to being beautiful.

I was overcome with butterflies from the moment I put my dress on. I realized as I watched Trisha and Olivia do their makeup that sometime that night I would be telling Dally how I felt.

"So you're positive you're going to tell him tonight?" Trisha asked as she curled her eyelashes in front of her mirror. I nodded and sat down on Trisha's unmade bed with my legs curled under me.

"It's a really romantic night to do it." Olivia said wistfully as she brushed her hair. "I wish that Mike and I hadn't…" she said began softly, putting the brush down on the vanity but Trisha cut her off.

"Olivia, don't think about him tonight. Let him go," Trisha said taking Olivia by the shoulders and giving her a gentle shake.

"I know. I just wish I had someone to share this with." Olivia said trying to blink away the few tears that had collected in the corners of her eyes.

"You do have someone to share it with!" I piped up. "You have me and Trisha and Aunt Candace. And you have Ponyboy, Soda and Steve, Two-Bit and Johnny, and Dally. And Darry…" I said smiling slyly.

Olivia's jaw dropped. "How did you know?" she asked.

"People can always tell when you like someone, even if you yourself can't figure it out." Trisha said going back to curling her lashes. "I knew Roxie liked Dally weeks before she realized it herself."

"So what are you going to do about him?" I asked Olivia. She bit her bottom lip and glanced at one of the pictures Trisha had tacked up around her mirror. It was of the Curtis boys, a cheesy snapshot taken a few years back, judging by how young the boys looked. Olivia smiled softly as she studied Darry in the picture.

"Should I tell him like Roxie's telling Dally?" she asked Trisha.

"Sure you should. What have you got to loose?" Trisha asked as she inspected the work she had done on her eyelashes. Olivia and I raised our eyebrows. It was so easy for her to say. Trisha, noticing our looks said, "Don't worry Ollie, if you cut your hair like you had it in Jr. High he'll be all over you."

"That was a nice cut!" she protested. "If I have do that then the next time you go out on a date you have to wear your glasses and that dorky frog necklace you always had on." Trisha threw her head back in laughter.

Frog necklace…where I had I seen that before? I thought as I looked up at Trisha's pictures around her mirror. Then I saw it…the yearbook picture, the one I had noticed when Trisha was dying my hair. She had on dorky glasses and a frog necklace around her neck. It couldn't be…Trisha had said that she was her cousin.

I looked over at Trisha with her blonde hair and effortless good looks. The beautiful girl. So that's how she knew. I got up off the bed and hugged her.

"Um…I love you too Roxie…" she said in a baffled way as she patted my shoulder. I laughed. So the secret was true…any girl could be beautiful if she just believed.

"Wow Olivia, you look really beautiful…" Darry stammered as he entered the backyard. I looked over at Olivia and winked, before I went into the kitchen to help Aunt Candace.

"Thank you." I heard her say softly through the screen door. I elbowed Trisha who was piling watermelon onto a platter. She glanced out the screen door to Olivia and Darry.

"Looks like you may not be the only one to confess your feelings tonight," she said smiling. I laughed as I went back outside with a stack of paper plates.

"Your boyfriend's here." Olivia who had made a polite excuse to leave Darry's side, whispered in my ear as I set the paper plates on the picnic table. I looked up to see Dally entering the backyard with his leather jacket slung over his shoulder. His eye wasn't blackened anymore but you could faintly see the cut on his lip from where it had split open.

"Shut up." I muttered back to her. "Or I may accidentally have to let something slip to Darry…" Olivia covered her mouth with her hand.

"You wouldn't!"

"Better keep your mouth shut then Ollie." I said teasingly. She playfully smacked my shoulder and then left to go find Aunt Candace. I was organizing the plastic utensils into separate cups so they could easily be grabbed when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I jumped and turned around to see Dally.

"I didn't scare you did I?" he asked smirking.

"No…you just surprised me that's all" I said blushing as he looked me up and down. I self-consciously started to cross my arms but I stopped myself in time because Trisha had always scolded me for doing so.

"I don't think I've ever seen you in a dress before Roxie. You look nice…" Dally said.

"Thanks…" I said smiling, wondering what I should say next, before I was thankfully whisked away by Aunt Candace who needed me to help in the kitchen.

"Dally?" I asked over the noise of the radio that Steve had turned on. It was dark, past midnight, and only about ten minutes until the eclipse was due to start. I was sitting on the back steps of Aunt Candace's house with Dally. Two-Bit and Trisha danced wildly in the center of the yard while, to my happiness, Olivia shyly asked Darry if he would like to dance and Aunt Candace was spinning Ponyboy around the entire perimeter of the yard.

"Yea?" Dally asked back loudly as he laughed at Ponyboy. I bit my lip. It was now or never but I couldn't do it here in front of all my friends.

"I have to talk to you. Come on." I said, trying to imagine that I was Trisha. I grabbed his hand and pulled him up off of the steps and through the house. I led him through the front door and out onto the street, away from the noise and commotion of the backyard.

"What is it Roxie?" Dally asked, cocking his head to one side, making his hair fall into his eyes. I loved it when that happened. I wondered what it was about Dally that really made me like him so much. I mean I wasn't the type of girl who just liked a guy because he looked sexy when his hair fell into his face. Hell if I was that type of girl I would be mooning over Sodapop instead of spending all my time thinking about Dallas Winston. And Ponyboy had been right; Dally wasn't charming and handsome like Soda. Nor was he as funny as Two-Bit. And certainly he wasn't as good of a listener as Johnny was. No, Dally wasn't super handsome and charming, or incredibly funny, or even good at listening. And yet there was something about him that made my heart skip a beat when I saw him. I couldn't quite put my finger on it but it was but I could see it in his face. He was proud and he was gallant. But there was something else…it was the little things like the way he smiled only about once a week, the way his laugh sounded when I said something funny, the way that he had protected me from Josh.

I took a deep breath and sucked up my courage. "I just wanted to tell you…thank you for defending me from Josh. It was really brave." I said as I shouted as many curse words as I could think of in my mind. I was such a chicken. Here was the perfect opportunity to tell him and I back out of it.

Dally furrowed his eyebrows. "You're welcome Roxie. But you were brave too. To get in the middle of us when you could have gotten even more hurt then you did…"

"I'm not brave…" I said, taking another breath. "I'm scared of everything. Most of all I'm scared that I'm never going to feel again what I feel when I'm with you, right now."

**

* * *

Mwah ha-ha! Yes I am being evil and leaving you with another cliffhanger even though I said I wouldn't. Don't hurt me :cowers in the corner:. But I think you can all figure out what's going to happen next… I'll give you a dedication if you can guess the movie I paraphrased the last few sentences from!**


	16. Kissing and the long awaited eclipse

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders or Keeping the Moon or the song First to Fall by Terri Clark.**

**My final replies to my reviewers (they are a bit longer than usual)-**

**Bambola: **Yes I am evil and left you off there! I'm sad that I'm ending the story too but it has to end sometime. And besides there are lots of good stories out there, much better than mine. You will see a note about my "sequel" in the author's note. The new fic should be out soon (I hope). I'll think you'll survive. Thank you for your review. I'm glad you liked this story and I hope you read my others.

**ZELINDA:** I'm sorry! But I think you all know what's going to happen! You get a dedication for being the first to tell me that it was Dirty Dancing that I stole the last line from! Good for you! I hope you like this last chapter and read my other stories.

**oOoRikku4EveroOo:** Yes I left you with a cliffhanger. I hope you liked this story and that you'll read my others, when I write them.

**TWbasketcase: **:gets up out of corner: Thank you Kristen. I'm glad I made you proud :beams:. Yea I really don't think I could sit through another Lindsey Lohan movie…even if it does have Matt Dillon. Although I couldn't help myself, I looked at some of the pictures from the movie to see if Matt is still hot and guess what…he still is! Not as hot as he was of course but still he isn't ugly and old looking! I also discovered that he's going to be a few movies this year which is exciting. And Lindsey Lohan isn't in them so I can watch them without clawing out my eyes with a spork (which I wanted to do after I saw Mean Girls :shudder:) BTW: I just got finished reading another S.E. Hinton book called Tex and I was looking around online and I saw that there was a movie made of it and guess who plays Tex? Ha-ha Matt Dillon! And EMILIO is in it. I MUST SEE THIS MOVIE! Thought you'd like to know about it. And yes Emilio is still very attractive! Thank God… One of the Brat Packers had to stay good looking or the world would be a sad, sad place. I have another Outsiders fic coming out…well sometime soon…but I do have a plot-bunny for a Breakfast Club fic hopping around in my head that I might have to post soon. I haven't written it yet so I don't know if it's good or not. Thanks for all your guidance and support. And of course your long comments, LOL! Oh and yes Andrew McCarthy is much better in St. Elmo's Fire than in Pretty in Pink. First of all Kevin is a much better name than Blaine ("Blaine…that's not a name it's a major appliance!" Yes I have seen all the classics and I know every line in The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, even St. Elmo's Fire and Sixteen Candles too but Bowling for Soup decided that, that movie was Brat Packy enough or something). And he's a writer in St. Elmo's Fire. How hot is that? Much hotter than being the super popular, oh so rich kid. Although I did find it funny when they are going up stairs to the party and he says that his hands will remain in his pockets and he picks up a bag of chips with his mouth. But even that moment of cuteness can not make up for the fact that Andie doesn't end up with Ducky! I mean the movie is perfect until they go to the prom and Blaine tells Andie that he loves her and Andie goes off with him and Ducky is given some random girl so the audience won't feel sorry for him. That ruined the whole movie! I always stop the movie after Ducky and Andie meet up at the prom because the rest isn't worth watching! Wow, this is a very long reply. LOL.

**Swayzestyle713:** I shouldn't be surprised that a person with your username figured out I jacked those last lines from Dirty Dancing, one of Patrick's most famous movies. I love Patrick Swayze. He's a very good actor and singer (She's Like the Wind is one of my all time favorite songs!). Although I don't know if I can justly say he's a good actor because I've only ever seen him in Ghost (I love that movie…it's freaky and cool), the Outsiders (duh), and Dirty Dancing (double duh!). I'm glad you like my story.

**Becca: **Do I like cliffies? Well not on fics that I read but I like to write them because I get interesting responses in my reviews. LOL. I hope you like this chapter and will read my other stories.

**Sodapop's#1gurl:** Somebody loves my evilness! That's great. I now have an excuse to be evil! Anyway I hope you like this last chapter. And be sure to read my next story about Sodapop!

**Author's Note: Alrighty as I have already told you I have been writing another Outsiders fic, which was intended to be sort of a sequel to this story. However after some reflection I realize that the sub-plots in that story that connect it with this one really don't fit in with it. I am still going to post it, I'm just cutting all the stuff out about Roxie, Olivia, and Trisha. However this is taking some time as I have decided to re-write the first three chapters of that story (which I wrote when I was having writer's block with this story a while back). So it may not come out right away. However if any of you would like a sequel to this story I will be more than willing to write one (but only on the condition that you have to give me a little inspiration for one because I think it ends rather nicely and I can't think of a plot for Keeping the Moon 2…). In the mean time please be on the lookout for Black Roses Red, when I finally get it out. I hope you read it, even though it's not a sequel to this story like I said it was going to be. Anyway it's time to say goodbye to Roxie, for a little while anyway. This is my first story on here so it will always be special to me. And the fact that I got such a positive response to it makes it all the more special. Now on to what you really want, the final chapter of Keeping the Moon…**

_This chapter is dedicated to ZELINDA and swayzestyle713 for figuring out that the last lines in the last chapter were "borrowed" from one of my favorite movies of all time: Dirty Dancing! And also a shout out to Sodapop's#1gurl for being the 100th reviewer!_

_

* * *

_Last Chapter:

"_You're welcome Roxie. But you were brave too. To get in the middle of us when you could have gotten even more hurt then you did…"_

"_I'm not brave…" I said, taking another breath. "I'm scared of everything. Most of all I'm scared that I'm never going to feel again what I feel when I'm with you, right now."_

_

* * *

_**Chapter Sixteen**

I bit my lower lip. There, I said it. And as much as I wanted to snatch the words back and stuff them in my mouth again they were out there. Dally stood there a moment trying to work out what I said. Then it dawned on him.

"Roxie are you saying that…?" Dally asked trailing off, not able to get the full sentence out.

"Well…yes." I said nervously, staring at the ground, shuffling my feet. "But if you don't feel the same way I totally understand…it's just that I'm leaving in a week and I…" I babbled but Dally cut me off by holding up his hand. I looked at him curiously as he took a few steps towards me.

He brushed my bangs out of my eyes the way he had the night I got hurt. Only this time he left his hand there on the side of my face. I felt my breath intake sharply and my body tense up as he cupped his other hand around my face also. But when he brought his lips down upon my own I felt my body relax into his. I reached up and ran my fingers through his white-blond hair as he wrapped his arms around my waist. It was just how I always imagined my first kiss was going to be like, only better. I even had the fireworks

I was always hearing about.

"Wow." I said when we finally pulled apart. "So all this time you've felt the same way?" Dally smirked.

"No Roxie I just kissed you because I felt like it and have no consideration for your feelings whatsoever," he said sarcastically.

"Hey!" I protested but he cut me off by kissing me again.

We stood out there in the street kissing until I looked up and saw that moon was beginning to disappear. I could hear Aunt Candace calling for us. Dally held my hand as we walked into the backyard. I noticed Olivia and Darry who were standing close to one another. He was whispering something in her ear and she was laughing. I couldn't help but smile, she deserved to be happy after her heartbreak.

Trisha noticed that Dally was holding my hand almost instantly and she winked at me and then nodded towards Olivia and Darry. I could tell by her smile that I wasn't the only one who had confessed my feelings that night.

I wanted to say something special to mark the occasion but Aunt Candace was able to sum it up perfectly, "Oh kids, isn't this magical?" she said pointing up to the sky as the moon started to disappear. Dally squeezed my hand as the moon disappeared bit by bit. I thought of Dally all those years ago in New York City with his friends, watching this exact same thing happen and how scared he must have been because when you're young you're always scared of the things you don't understand.

As I looked around at my group of friends I knew I would always remember this moment. And this summer and the way I had changed throughout it. But most of all I would remember kissing Dallas Winston moments before watching my first ever eclipse. Then I cast my gaze back up to the heavens to put my faith in the moon's return.

**THE END**

**

* * *

Author's Note: Yes it ends there. I could have continued it to when Roxie left to go back to Ohio but the actual book, Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen leaves off in the same place that I did. And in my opinion it is the perfect place to end the story. About the kiss…I don't know if I wrote as well as it could be written. I wanted to really show the emotion in it but since I have never really felt those emotions I had to use my imagination and I don't know if that's what it really feels like. Let me know what you think so I can to make it better in my future stories (yes there will be kissing in my future stories because I don't like to read stories that don't have any romance in them…well there are a few exceptions but for the most part there has to be a romance or I just can't pay attention to it). Anyway I bid you farewell until my next story.**

**Infinite X's and O's,**

**Hannah**


End file.
